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HISTORY 



\V^^llir(^toi\ Cottr\ty, 



NEBRASKA 



Its Early Settlement and Present Status, Resource^ 
Advantages and Future Prospects. 



JOHN TJ'WELL, Law Reporter, Omaha, Neb. 



OMAHA, NEB. 

PRINTED AT THE HERALD STEAM BOOK .' ND JOB PRIXTIXG HOUSE. 
JULY, 1876. 



. W354-5 



THE COUNTY IN THE PAST. 



First Settlement in 1819.— Lewis and Clarke's Pow-Wow with 
THE Indians. — Organization of the Territory and County. — 
List oe County Officials— Newspapers.— The Big Storm. 



The first white settlement made in Nebra^ikti was at a point now in- 
cluded within tlie boundaries of Washington county, on which the town 
of Fort Calhoun is located. It was here, also, that the first council was 
ever held by the whites with the Indians of the then unexplored north- 
west — a vast region of country extending from the lied river of the South 
to the British possessions, and from the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean. 

In 1803 was consuniated what is known as the Louisiana purchase, 
M'hich included the i^resent state of Nebraska, and the attention of the 
United States government was directed towards exploring and improving 
the newly acquired territory. Accordingly, in the summer of 1803, an 
expedition was planned by President Jefferson, for the purpose of discov- 
ering the course and sources of the Missouri, and the most convenient 
water communication thence to the Pacific. His private secretary, Capt. 
Merriweather Lewis, and Capt. William Clarke, both officers in the army, 
were detailed to undertake this enterprise. These two officers met at St. 
Louis in the month of December, intending to pass the winter at La 
Charrette, the highest settlement on the Missouri, but the Spanish com- 
mandant of the province, not having received official notification of the 
transfer of the province to the United States, refused to allow them to pass 
through. The party, therefore, encamped on the eastern bank of the Miss- 
issippi, which formed the eastern boundary of the Spanish possessions, op- 
posite the mouth of the Missouri. Thejiarty was composed of nine young 
Kentuckians, fourteen soldiers, who had volunteered their services, ;two 
French voygeurs, an interpreter and hunter, and a colored servant belonging 
to Capt. Clai'ke ; all but the latter being enlisted as privates to serve during 
the expedition, three of their number being appointed sergeants. I)i addi- 
tion^a corporal, six soldiers, and nine voyageurs, accompanied the expedition 
as far as the INIandan nation in order to assist in carrj'ing the stores or re- 
pelling an Indian assault. The stores consisted of a great variety of cloth- 
ing, tools, gunlock flints, powder and ball. To these were added fourteen 
bales and one box of goods designed as Indian presents, and consisting of 



4 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

richly laced coats, medals, flags, knives, tomahawks, beads, looking glasses, 
colored handkerchiefs, paint, etc. The party had three boats, one being 
a keel boat, tifty-A'^'e feet long, drawing three feet of water, and carrying 
one large square ?ail, and twenty-two oars. A deck of ten feet in the bow 
and stern fornicd a forecastle and cabin, while the middle was covered by 
lockers which could be raised so as to form breastMorks in case of attack. 
The two other boats were open, one carrying six and the other seven oars. 
Two horses were at the same time to be led along the banks of the river 
for the purpose of bringing home game, or hunting, in case of scarcity. 

Thus accoutered, the party started on its toilsone journey up the 
Missouri Monday, May 14th, 1804, and reached the mouth of the Platte 
July 21, encamping the next day " ten miles from the Platte, Intending 
to make the requisite^ observations, and to send for the neighboring tribes 
for the purpose of making known tne recent change in the government, 
and the wish of the United States to cultivate their friendship." July 
27th the expedition proceeded up the river, and on the 30th reached the 
place where the council was to be held, having passed Boyer creek the 
day before. The country and the council are described as follows, in 
Lewis and Clarke's official report, for a copy of which I am indebted to 
Byron Reed, of Omaha: 

" The land here consists of a plain, above the high water level, the 
soil of Avhich is fertile and covered with a grass from live to eight feet high, 
interspersed with copses of large plums and a currant like those of the 
United States. It also furnishes two species of honeysuckle, one growing 
to a kind of a shrub, common about Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and the 
other not so high. The flowers grow in clusters, are short and of a light 
pink color. The leaves, too, are distinct, and do not surround the stem as 
do those of the United States. Back of this plain is a M'oody ridge about 
seventy feet above it, at the end of which we termed our camp. This 
ridge separates the lower from a higher prairie of a good quality, with 
grass of ten or twenty inches in height, and extending back about a 
mile to another elevation of eighty or ninety feet, beyond which is one 
continuous plain. Near our camp we enjoy from the blutFs a most beau- 
tiful view of the river and the adjoining country. At a distance varying 
from four to ten miles, and of a height between seventy and three 
hundred feet, two parallel ranges of high land alTord a passage to the Mis- 
souri, which enriches the low grounds between them. In its winding 
course it nourishes the willow islands, the scattered Cottonwood, elm, syc- 
amore, lynn, and ash ; and the groves are interspersed with hickory, wal- 
nut, cofieenut, and oal?. The hunters supplied us with deer, turkeys, 
geese and beaver. Catfish are abundant in the river, and we have also 
seen a buffalo-fish. One of onr men brought in yesterday an animal called 
by the Pawnees, ehocantoosh, and by the French, blairvau, or badger. 

"We waited with much anxiety the return of our messenger to tha 
Ottoes. Our apprehensions were at last relieved by the arrival of a party 
of about fourteen Ottoe and Missouri Indians, who came at sunset on the 
second of August, accompanied by a Frenchuiun Mho resided among them 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 5 

and interpreted for us. Captains Lewis and Clarke went out to meet them 
and told them that we would hold a council in tlie morning. In the 
meantime we sent them some roasted meats, pork, flour and meal in 
return for which they made us a present of watermelons. 

" The next morning, the Indians, with their six chiefs were all assem- 
bled under an awning formed with the mainsail, in the presence of all of 
our party, paraded for the occasion. A speech was then made announc- 
ing to them the change in the government, our promises of protection, 
and advice- as to their future conduct. All the six chiefs replied to our 
speech, each in his turn according to rank. They expressed their joy at 
the change in the government, their hopes that we would recommend 
them to their great father ^the president) that they might obtain trade and 
necessaries. They wanted arms as well for hunting as for defence and 
asked our mediation between them and the Mahas (Omahas) with whom 
they are now at war. We promised to do so and wished some of them to 
accompany us to that nation which they declined, for fear of being killed 
by them. We then proceeded to distribute our presents. The grand 
chief of the nation not being of the party we sent him a flag, a medal and 
some ornaments for clothing. To the six chiefs who were present we 
gave a medal of the second grade to one Ottoe chief and a Missouri chief 
and a medal of the third grade to two inferior chiefs of each nation, the 
customary mode of recognizing a chief being to place a medal around his 
neck, which is considered among |his tribe a proof of his consideration 
abroad. Each of these medals was accompanied by a present of paint,gar- 
ters and cloth ornaments of dress, and to this we added a cannister of 
powder, a bottle of whisky and a few presents to the whole, which ap- 
peared to make them perfectly satisfied. The air gun, too, was fired and 
astonished them greatly. The absent grand chief was an Ottoe named 
Wahrushhah which, in English, degenerates into Liltle Thief. The two 
principal chieftans present were Shongolong©, or Big Horse and Wethea, 
or Hospitality ; also Shosqusean, or White Horse, an Ottoe. The inci- 
dents just related induced us to give to this place the name of Council- 
bluff. The situation of it is exceedingly favorable for a fort and trading 
factory, as the soil is well calculated for bricks and there is an abundance 
of wood in the neighborhood, and the air being pure and healthy. It is 
also central to the chief resorts of the Indians, being one day's journey 
to the Ottoes; one and a half to the great Pawnees ; two days from the 
Mahas ; two and a quarter from the Pawnee Loups village ; convenient 
to the hunting grounds of the Sioux, and twenty-five days journey to 
Sante Fe. The ceremonies of the council being concluded, we set sail in 
the afternoon and encamped at the distance of five miles on the south 
side, where we found the musquitos very troublesome." And, to tell the 
truth, they are very troublesomo in that vicinity to this day, at certain 
seasons of the year. 

Though the early settlers of Council Bluflfs, Iowa, have endeavored to 
make it appear that their town is located upon the site of this olden time 
conference, the fact is established beyond all question that they were in 



b HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

error and that the site of the present town of Fort Calhoun, is the exact 
locality. At this point the government established Fort Atkinson — af- 
terwards called Fort Calhoun — in 1819, and abiindoned it some ten or a 
dozen years later. In response to a letter of inquiry on 
this subject from Mr. N. Ramsey, secretary of the His- 
torical society of St. Louis, under date of December 9, 1867, the late 
Father De Smet wrote : " During the years 1838 and 1839, I resided oppo- 
site what is now called the city of Omaha. In 1839 I stood on the bluff 
on which the old fort was built in 1819 ; some rubbish and remains of the 
old Foot were then visible, and some remaining roots of asparagus were 
still growing in the old garden. Fort Atkinson was located where now 
stands the town of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska Territory, about sixteen niiles 
in a straight line above the city of Omaha, and forty miles by river. The 
mouth of the Boyer now enqjties into the Missouri riv^er, some twelve 
miles (straight line) above Omaha : in 1839 the same river emptied into 
the Missouri river about five miles above the old military post. Mr. Ca- 
banne's trading post was six miles, by land, below Fort Atkinson, and 
twenty-five miles by river ; Mr. Cabanne's trading post was ten miles, by 
land, above where now stands Omaha City. Manual Lisa had a trading 
post one mile above Cabanne's. I met Captains Joseph and John La 
Barge, and proposed the question of the former site of Fort Atkinson, in 
order to test the accuracy of my memory, and they confirmed it in every 
particular." 

On the 30th of May, 1854, the organic act, opening Kansas and Nebraska 
for settlement, was passed by Congress. Francis Burt of Soutn Carolina 
was appointed Governor of Nebraska, but was taken sick while on his 
way to the new territory and died soon after his arrival, at the old Mis- 
sion House at Bellevue on the ISth day of October, 1853. By the death of 
Governor Burt, the Secretary of the Territory, Thos. B. Cuming, became 
acting Governor, and his first oflicial action was certain proclamations: 
One ordering a census of the Territory upon which to base an apportion- 
ment; another fixing the time of holding the election, aud conveuing 
the legislature; aud one dividing the Territory into counties and fixing 
boundaries to the same. By the terms of the latter Washington county 
was bounded as follows : Commencing at a point on the Missouri river 
one mile north or Omaha city ; thence due west to the dividing ridge be- 
tween the Elkhorn and the Missouri river; thence northwestwardly 
twenty miles to the Elkhorn river ; thence eastwardly to a point on the 
Missouri river two miles above Fort Calhoun ; thence southerly along 
said river to the place of beginning. 

The Territory was divided by Gov. Cuming into four election districts 
with voting places distributed as folows : Bellvue, Omaha, Fontenelle, 
and Fort Calhoun. Dr. M. H. Clark and Col. Wm. Kline laid out the 
Fontenelle or Western district, which extended from the big Papillion to 
Fort Kearney, or, in fact, to the Rocky Mountains. There is a tradition 
in the western part of the county to the efl^ect that, in order to swell the 
list of voters, these enterprising individuals included in their census re- 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 7 

turns a lot of names copied from the trees at the ci'osshig of the Elkhorn, 
where they had been carved by California and Mormon emigrants, but 
this may be a base slander. 

The counties were not named by the Clavernor, but were christeaei by 
the first legislature, which niet at Omaha in the winter of lSo4-5,. aad con- 
sisted of eight Gouucilmen— four from each side of the Platte— and thir- 
teen Representatives, Washington county sending, as Councilman, James 
G. Mitchell, and as Representatives, Auselum Arnold, and A. J. Smith. 
February 22, 1855, an act was passed declaring that "a county shall be or- 
ganized to be called Washington, and shall be bounded as follows : Com- 
mencing at a point on the Missouri river, two miles north of Florence, or 
Winter Quartei's, thence north following the meauderiags of said river to 
a point in a direct line, twenty-four miles from the place of beginning, 
thence west to the dividing I'idge between the Elkhorn aud Missouri 
rivers, or to the eastern boundary line of Dodge county, thence south 
along said line twenty-four miles, thence east to the place of beginning." 
Fort Calhoun was designated as the county seat, and the following were 
appointed county officers, by the Governor : Stephen Cass, Probate 
Judge; Thomas Allen, SherifT; Geo, W. Nevelle, Clerk; George Martin, 
Treasurer; Z. Jackson, Register, and Thos. Wilson, Surveyor. Since 
that date the following named have been elected to the various positions 
designated: 

CouNciLMEN— Wm. Clancy, 1856; G. E. Scott, and Geo. W. Doaue (now 
of Omaha), floater, 1858; John A. Unthank, 1860; E. A, Allen and Frank 
AVelch, of Burt, floater, 1862; John D. Neighley, of Cuming, floater, 1866. 

State Senators— Jesse T. Davis, 1866; W. F. Goodwill, of Burt, floater, 
1868; B. F. Hilton, 1870; L. W. Osborn, 1872; Waldo Lyon, of Burt, floater, 
1874. 

Representatives— Wm. Connor, ElishaP. Stout, and James S. Stew- 
art, 1856; P. C. Sullivan, R. H. Peterson, and James S. Stewart, 1857: P. 
G. Cooper, L. M. Kline, and Charles Davis, 1858; James S. Stewart, and 
John S. Bowen, 1859; Silas Mead, and Henry W. De Pugh, 1860; E. A. 
Allen, and John S. Bowen, 1801; L. R. Fletcher, and Dean C. Slader, 
1862. [The session of the legislature for the winter of 1862-3 was dispensed 
with by act of congress, and the money, equal to the expense of the ses- 
sion applied to war purposes.] John Evans (now of Omaha), aud H. J. 
Rohwer, 1863; H. M. Hitchcock, and Xevin McCandlish, 1S6-1; E. H. 
Clark, and Charles Eisley, 1865; A. S. Warrick, and Dr. L. J. Abbott.Ter- 
ritorial, and John A. Unthank, and Dean C. Slader, State Representa- 
tives, 1866 — there being two sets elected on account of a State constitution 
having been drafted; W. H. B. Stout (now contractor for the erection of 
the State's prison), and Christian Rathmanu, 1808; Elam Clark, and H. 
C. Riordan,1870; Henry Spriek, 1872— a new apportionment having given 
the county but one member of the House— E. S. Gaylord, 187-1. 

In July, 1866, a special session of tne legislature was held, in which 
Frank Welch, of Burt, represented Washington county as Senator, and 



8 HISTORY OF WHSHINGTON 

"\Vm. R. Hamilton, D. McDonald, and Thomas E. Wilson as Representa- 
tive!!. 

CoMMissioXEBs— David Franklin, A. Pliinney, and John West, 1S56; 
J. B. Wiekwire, 1857; E. Allen, 1858; E. B. Hamilton, 1859; John Parks, 
1860; John Evans, and James S. Stewart (the latter to fill Mr. Parks' un- 
expired term), 1861; Silas Masters, 1862; Jacob Carter, 1863; Jas. S. Stew- 
art, re-elected 1864; John A. Unthank (appointed to fill the unexpired 
term of Silas Masters, resigned), 1865; W. B. Beals, 1866; Alonzo Perkins, 
1867; Thos. Frazier, 1868; Watson Tyson, 1869; Wm. R. Hamilton, and 
David Couchman (the latter to fill the unexpired term of Thos. Frazier, 
deceased), 1870; David Couchman, reelected 1871; Watson Tyson, re-elect- 
ed 1872; Wm. R. Hamilton, re-eletced 1873; H. J. Rohwer, 1874; Charles 
Selleck, 1875, 

County Clerks— E. Mather, 1857; Abram Castetter, 1861; re-elected 
every election from that time to 18S9, when Peter R. Benner was elected 
and re-elected in 1871 and 1873; E. C Jackson, 1875. 

County Treasurers— George Stevens, 1857, Lewis Tucker, 1858; E. N. 
Grennell, 1859; re-elected each election until 1863, when Alex Reed 
was elected, and he was continued in office until 1875, when J. H. Hun- 
gate, the present incumbent and the then Mayor of Blair, was elected. 

Sheriffs — Orrin Rhodes, and Hugh McNeely (the latter to fill unexpired 
term), 1856; Hugh MeNeeley, 1857; Chester Lusk, 1860; Israel Swihart, 
1831, Dan Case, 1868; A. T. Chapin, 1869; Rice Arnold, 1871, and re-elected 
in 1873 and 1875. 

Probate Judges — James A. Goodrich, 1757; Z. Jackson, 1861; John S. 
Bowen, 1869, and re-elected in 1871; Jesse T. Davis, 1873, and re-elected in 
1875. 

Superintendents OF Schools— Eli Bacon, 1857; D. McLacklin, 1858; 
Charles G. Bisbee, 1869; re-elected in 1871; Charles Cross, 1873; re elected 
in 1875. 

Surveyors- Thomas Wilson, 1857; re-elected in 1858; George Brigham, 
1861; V- G. Lantry, 1869; re-elected in 1871; J. C. W. Kline, 1875, 

Coroners— Jesse T. Davis, 1861; Charles Emerson Tennant, 1869; H. P- 
Butler 1871; Dr. S. B. Taylor, 1873; E. C. Pierce, 1875. 

Mr. Ballard represented Washington county in the constitutional con- 
vention of 1871, and E. ]Sr. Grennell and J.J. Thompson in that of 1875. 

The foregoing list of officers is incomplete, but is a full as can be made 
after a thorough overhauling of the county records. 

In the vote upon the constitution, submitted in 1871, Washington coun- 
ty cast 94 for and 419 votes against thesection, submitted separatelj^ grant- 
ing women the right of suffrage, and 194 for to 319 against the compulsory 
education clause, also submitted separately, while she rejected the eonsti- 
tution itself by a majority of 97 votes. At the special election held in 
1868, on the proposition to aid the construction of the Sioux City and Pa- 
cific railroad by voting county bonds to the amount of $75,000, to be paid 
only so fast as a tax of one mill on the dollar would pay it, the vote 
stood 347 for to 153 against the issuance of the bonds. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 



9 



The following nanued have occupied the position of Deputy C<iunty 
Clerk, an office conferred by appointment: lloger T. Beal, D. McDonald 
Peter R. Benner, E. B. Hamilton, John S. Bowen, Harry M. Bowen. and 
Cara Clark, the present incumbent. Treasurer Hungate's deputy, is also 
a lady — Miss Edna Reed. 

At the first election held in the county, in 185-5, there were 70 votes 
polled. At the last general election — that of 1875— there were 1,180 ballots 
cast. The first census returns showed a population of 207; that of last year, 
6,286, there being 314 births in the county in 1875. The following has 
been the annual levy since 1859: 

For the year 1859 $ 7,555 25 

" '60 6,569 24 

" "61 7,284 02 

'02 7,763 91 

'63 9,642 61 

'64 12,382 65 

'65 16,035 10 

" '66 ". 17,690 01 

" '67 24 583 90 

'68 28,401 80 

" '69 42,389 73 

'70 67,593 28 

" '71 86,542 30 

'72 64,817 62 

'73 86,782 56 

'74 77,631 81 

'75 (about) 86,000 00 

The assessed valuation of property for this year was $1,551,756, with 
$75,000 exemption on account of the planting of trees, the exemption be- 
ing at the rate of the tax, and on fifty dollars for each acre of fruit trees 
on one hundred dollars valuation for each acre of forest trees, 
for the terra of five years after the trees were planted. This was one 
of the wisest acts ever performed by any legislature, and the 
result will be that in the course of a few years Nebraska will be a well 
timbered state. The law is generally appreciated and acted upon by the 
people, Sheridan precinct alone receiving an exemption for 1875 of ?>23,- 
000 on account of tree planting, while Grant and Lincoln was each bene- 
fitted about §10,000. 

The first newspaper published in the county was the DeSota Bugle, 
established at DeSoto in 1856 by Isaac Parrish ; the second was the DeSoto 
Pilot, established in 1857 by Merrick & Maguire ; the third the Washing- 
ton county Sun, established in 1858 by Potter C. Sullivan, and the fourth 
was the DeSoto Enquirer, established in 1858 by Z. Jackson. Then there 
was a lull in the newspaper publishing business, until 1869, when the Reg- 
ister was established at Blair, by B. F. Hilton & Son. In 1870 the publi- 
cation of the Blair Times was undertaken by a company consisting of C. 
B. Herman, John S. Bowen, J. H. Post, V. G. Lantry, H. P. Dexter, Jesse 



10 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

T. Davis, Abram Castetter, Alex. Reed, W. H. B. 8tout, and W. W. 
Wilson. In a few months it passed into the hands of V. G. Lantry, and 
W. H. B. Stout, then into the hands of the former, who sold it to John 
A. McMurphy. now editor and proprietor of the Plattsmouth Herald. Mr. 
McMurphy conducted the paper for a year or two, and then sold it back 
to Mr. Lantry, who sold it last spring to Judge John S. Bowen, by whom 
it is now managed in a very able manner. Two years ago J. Y. Lambert, 
editor and proj^rietor of the Pilot, published at Tekamah, Burt county, 
moved that paper to Blair, and there published it until about a year ago, 
when it was purchased by (^eorge Sultherland. It is now edited by L. F. 
Hilton, formerly of the Begister, and is one of the spiciest, most enter- 
pi'ising weeklies in the State. 

The winters of 1856-7 found the settlers of Washington county little 
prepared for its hardships. The winteis of 1855-6 had been remarkably 
pleasant and mild, and it was supposed by the few white residents of the 
county at that time that that was a fair sample of the Nebraska winters. 
The houses were generally of a temporary character, many of them having 
been built the summer previous of new cottouwood lumber, which ma- 
terial makes beautiful " open work" after a few days exposure to the sun, 
rendering a building cool and airy for suuimer use, but not so pleasant for 
winter. Little or no shelter had been prepared for stock, and as there was 
a dearth of feed, cattle were allowed to wander here and there through 
the small patches of breaking, finding an occasional stray stalk of sod 
corn with whicii to astonish their stomachs. No one was provided with 
wood for more than a few days' use. Provisions were very scarce, and 
money scarcer. Such was the condition of things when the sun went 
down on the evening of the 30th of November, 1856. A light snow was 
falling, and had been for an hour, but the air was mild and pleasant, with 
a light wind. During the night the wind increased to a territic gale ; the 
weather grew intensely cold, and the air was filled with the driving 
snow, which was forced into the houses through a thousand and one crev- 
ices, covering beds, chairs, tables, stoves, etc., with a cold mantle of white. 
The day dragged by. with the wind surging and roaring and the air so 
thick with cutting, blinding snow that one could not see a house five feet 
distant; thus rendering it impossible for the stock to be fed, as a man 
could not find his way back to the house after leaving it. Several made 
the attempt, and perished in consequence, their bones being found when 
the snow melted the next spring, in some instances, within a short dis- 
tance of their homes. Night settled upon us cold and dreary, and an- 
other day of suffering dawned and passed without the least prospect ot re- 
lief. A second night and third day passed by, during which the wind 
seemed to have lost none of its fury, while the snow appeared to come 
from some inexhaustable source, whirling, eddying and driving, ])iling 
and drifting in the houses to a depth of two or three feet. As the evening 
of the third day came on, the anxious settlers were rejoiced to find that 
the storm was gradually losing its force. Another miserable night passed, 
and the fourth day dawned. The wind had gone down, and the sun rose 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 11 

bright and clear upon a brilliant, glistening, dazzling sea of snow, strech- 
ing away as far as the vision extended, covering the ground to a depth of 
three or four feet on the level, while in the ravines it was drifted in 
places to the depth of twenty feet. The writer remembers distinctly of 
finding snow in a sheltered nook, the next June. The storm having sub- 
sided the settlers turned out to take care of their stock. In many places 
stables were built down in ravines, and were so completely covered with 
snow that some time elapsed before they could be found and the horses 
they sheltered — and very effectually too — dug out. Great difficulty was 
also experienced in gathering together the roaming cattle, and many per- 
ished in the storm. 



12 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 



THE PAAy:N"EE WAE. 



Military Ardor at Fever Heat.— On The Trail.— A Faithful 
Squaw.— The Capture and the Result. 



In the summer of 1859 occurred what has since passed into the realms 
of history as the " Pawnee ^rar." Fontenelle was no longer the frontier 
settlement. Thirty miles to the northwest, on the Elkhorn, the town of 
West Point had been located, and six miles beyond, that of DeWitt. 
Ten miles southward, on the Platte, Fremont had been staked out two 
summers previous, while farther to the westward, along'the Platte, were 
the new towns of North Bend and Columbus. The Pawnee Indians then 
occupied two villages about twelve miles directly south of Fontenelle, 
and on the south side of the Platte. They had behaved themselves very 
well, considering, their depredations having consisted mainly in robbing 
hen roosts and picking up little odds and ends of personal effects belong- 
ing to the whites, and the settlers had concluded there was no danger 
whatever to be apprehended from them, but in this they were doomed to 
disappointment. 

In the latter part of June, 1859, the entire tribe of Pawnees— braves, 
squaws, pappooses and dogs — left their villages and marched across the 
low land intervening between the Platte and the Elkhorn rivers, and 
<?amp on the Elkhorn on the western side of that stream just across from 
Fontanelle. Here they remained a day or two; after which short delay, 
they proceeded up the Elkhorn, without crossing it, pursuing a north- 
westerly direction. They said they were going up the river on a grand 
buffalo hunt, and would be gone several " moons," On the day after 
they left their first camp on the Elkhorn, half a dozen "bucks" crossed 
the river at a point about a dozen miles above Fontenelle, and attacked 
an old bachelor by the name of Uriah Thomas, who was living alone in a 
Itttle log hut some distance from any other house. The Indians took his 
pocketbook, containing $136, a package of valuable papers, including 
several land warrants, drank up all his whisky (the unkindest cut of all) 
and then drove off a fine yoke of oxen, after first having taken the pre- 
caution to lock Mr. Thomas up in his shanty. After the Indians had 
been gone for some time, Thomas set about effecting his release, which he 
accomplished with but little difficulty, and then cautiously proceeded to 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 13 

Fontenelle and gave the alarm. Of course, the wildest excitement pre- 
vailed. A company of a dozen men or so was immediately organized, 
and an advance was made upon the Thomas mansion, after a careful re- 
eonoitering by scouts. No Indians were discovered, and the j:>arty con- 
cealed themselves in and about the hut, and waited patiently for several 
hours ; but no Indians making their appearance, the whites returned to 
Fontenelle. Two days afterwards, the people living at West Point and 
DeWitt (the settlements spoken of as being farther up the Elkhorn),came 
down to Fontenelle in a body, and reported that as the Pawnees moved up 
the river, on the western side of it, marauding bands had crossed over to 
the eastern side, and had burned the dwellings of the settlers, ripped up 
their feather beds, scattered the contents, and used the ticks for blankets ; 
tore to pieces clocks for the puri:)oseof getting the brass wheels to hang in 
their eai's and drove off all kinds of stock. 

This was a fine state of affairs. Thirty men, armed with rifles, shot- 
guns, muskets, and revolvers, started tor West Point the next morning in 
wagons, reaching that settlement about the middle of the afternoon. They 
saw no Indians that day, and after deliberating over the matter, conclud- 
ed to return to Fontenelle the next da3^ As they were on the i^oint of 
startiuiT, a scout came in with the information that he had seen a small 
body of Indians crossing the river a mile or so distant. Arrangemeuts 
were instantly made to capture the party. A i^ortion of the white men 
took position in one room of a double log house, while the rest of the party 
kept themselves out of sight. The jjeople of the house were instructed to 
admit the Indians into the unoccupied room of the house, and after they 
were all in the room, the outside door was to be securely fastened, thea 
the middle door between the rooms was to be opened; the white men were 
to rush from the room in which they were concealed into that occcupied 
by the Indians, and then their capture would be a very easy matter — as 
they thought. It was a very neat little plan, and looked well, but there 
was one objection to it — it didn't pan out worth a cent. The Indians, 
eleven in number, approached the house; they were invited to walk in, 
which invitation was accepted, as it was evidently their intention to walk 
in whether thejj^ were invited or not; the outside door to the room was 
closed and fastened; the signal was given; the door betw'eeu the two rooms 
was opened; the w'hite men rushed with a yell into the room which was 
occupied b^* the Indians, and — captured the whole posse ? Not much. 
The greasy-skinned, slippery devils shed their blankets, dived down 
among the legs of the white men, slipped out like so many eels, burst 
open the door and were out of the room like a flash, and all the white men 
had to show for their stratagem was the lodgement of a slug in the wrist 
or one of their own number — ^Ir. James PI. Peters — which was brought 
about by the accidental discharge of a gun during tho melee in the room. 
The Indians were followed out of the house by the whites who blazed 
away at them as they ran toward the river. Two or three of the Indians 
were killed and one wounded; one was captured, having been bronght 
down " on the wing " by a shot which should have been better aimed. 



14 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

The whites then hastily got their wagons together, put the wounded 
Indian in one of them, and started back to Fontenelle, being very anx- 
ious to vacate that particular section of the country before the Indians 
who had made their escape from the house should reach the Pawnee 
camps, and tell the tribe of the fracas. The whites " stood not upon the 
order of their going, but went at once, rattling over the level prairje 
road at a deucedly rapid pace. They had not proceeded far before the 
wounded Indian gave evidence of being dead. He was closely examined by 
those in the wagon, who agreed unanimously that he was defunct— that 
he would never again smash up a brass clock for the purpose of getting the 
wheels to hang in his ears, nor rip up a feather bed in order to get a sub- 
stitute for a blanket. He was a goner, and as it would not pay to haul 
dead Indians, the wagon was driven to the bank of the Elkhorn, near 
which the road ran, the corpse was jDicked up and pitched into the river. 
As soon as the supposed -to-be-dead Indian struck the water, he dived 
down and swam under water for the opposite bauk, and it was then dis- 
covered that he had been playing " possum," and that he was better than 
a dozen dead men yet. But even an Indian cannot stay under water all 
the time; he must come up to bi'eath, and when that red rascal's head 
broke the surface of the stream, as he came up to get a whiff of air, a 
load of buckshot was deposited in the back portion of his cranium by a 
white man who never could appreciate a practical joke, and had but a 
poor opinion of jokers, whether white, black, or red. The buckshot was 
evidently too heavy a load for the Indian to carry conveniently, for he 
never reached the other side of the river alive. 

It did not take many days for the news with regard to the killing of 
the Indians at West Point to be carried to every part of the Terriory, and 
the entire country was in a blaze of excitement. It was generally thought 
that the Pawnees would at once declare war against the whites, and the 
outlying settlements were supposed to be in danger of immediate exter- 
mination. Governor Black issued orders to the few militia companies 
then organized, to hold themselves in readiness to move at a moment's 
notice, and muskets were shipped to the different settlements, with or- 
ders for the immediate organization of other companies. The settlers 
along the Elkhorn river flocked to Fontenelle, which village was turned 
into a military camp. The growing crops were neglected, and suffered 
much damage thei'eby. Pickets were thrown out during the day, and a 
cordon of sentinels surrounded the place at night. All the ammunition 
was collected together, and pewter teapots, teaspoons, etc., were moulded 
into bullets. Blunderbusses which had done good service in patriot 
hands during the revolutionary war, and which had not been loaded nor 
cleaned since, were dragged forth and furbished up. Old sabres which 
bad figured prominently on "muster days" celebrated by the forefathers 
of their present owners, were produced, and measures adopted for the pur 
pose of inducing thena to leave their scabbards, from which they had not 
been drawn for years. It was reported every day for a week that ten 
thousand Indians were approaching the town fully attired in the traid- 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 15 

tional war paint and feathers, and in consequence of these cheerful stories 
the people were constantly kept in a pleasant state of exciting suspense. 
At night each bush or shrub would be transformed into a stealthily ap- 
proaching redskin. 

A week of this sort of life drifted by, and no attack had been made. 
By this time a force of about two hundred men had gathered in and about 
Fontenelle, and it was then resolved by the officials of the Territory that 
it would be a fine stroke of policy to cross the Elkhorn, follow the trail of 
of the Indians until they were overtaken, and then and there attack them 
and administer a lesson which they would not soon forget. A sufficient 
number of wagons were provided, with the necessary camp equipage and 
a large amount of provisions (several barrels of whisky being included in 
the latter), and on the 5th day of July the force moved across the river, 
and went into camp on Maple creek, a few miles from Fontenelle. Gov. 
Black accompanied the expedition, of which he was the commander- 
in-chief, though the battalion was under the direct command of Col. — 
since ]N[ajor General — Thayer, which gentleman had served in the Mexi- 
can difficulty, and was conseqnently supposed, by a credulous public, to 
be thoroughly conversant with the art of war. At this time I cannot re- 
member the names of all the officers of the various companies, but of that 
from Fontenelle Wm. Kline was Gaptain, James A. Bell, First Lieuten- 
ant, and Wm. Flack, Second. Capt. Hazen commanded the Fremont 
company, J. J. Turton the one from North Bend, and Peter Reed that or- 
ganized in Richland precinct. Capt. Bob Howard commanded the Oma- 
ha gun squad, and Lieut. Robinson 50 U. S. dragoons. The late General 
Samuel R. Curtis also accompanied the expedition, but took no active 
part in its management, although he, no doubt, rendered much service in 
the way of practical suggestions. I shall never forget the appearance that 
military organization presented when on the march. We had amounted 
force of about sixty men, and the remainder of the two hundred rode in 
wagons. When every thing was in readiness for breaking camp in the 
morning, Col. Thayer would take position and give the order: "At 
ten-t-i-o-n, bat-tali-o-n ! For-w-a-r-d, m-a-r-c-h I" the last word of com- 
mand being pi'onounced in an indiscribable squeal, about two tones higher 
than W^atchel's " high C." 

Our mounted force always rode at the head of the columns, preceded 
by a few scouts, a considerable distance in advance. The sun beat down 
upon us with terrible force, and the sandy stretches of country over which 
we passed, at intervals, threw out an immense amount of heat. Our hor- 
ses were very poor and weak, and the excessive heat together with the 
heavy loads, soon began to tell on them, and consequently the progress 
made was very slow indeed. We had no roads, as the country had not 
yet been surveyed, and no settlements had been made. AVe struck the 
trail of the Indians and followed it steadily, over hills, through valleys, 
and across streams, which last named were always mirey. Here we would 
generally be delayed somewhat, as a bridge of some description was re- 
quired before we could get the wagons across. A force would be set to 



16 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

work to cut brush, while another would mow down the heavy slough 
grass. The brush would be thrown into the stream, the grass piled on the 
brush, and then if the banks were very steep, the horses would be unhitch- 
ed from the wagons, which would be let down by ropes, and then drawn 
up the opposite bank by the teams which had been previously taken 
across. Notwithstanding the many difliculties to be encountered, we 
usually traveled as far in one day as the Indians we were pursuing would 
march in three, it being an easy matter to locate the places where they 
had camped each night, these encampments being about seven miles 
apart. The utmost precaution against surprise was observed when, at the 
close of a long tedious day, a convenient spot for a camp would be selected, 
the wagons coralled, and the animals turned out to graze. At an early 
hour in the night, sentinels would be posted all around the camp, and re- 
lieved every two hours. After about a week's travel, during which we 
had not seen a human being, excepting those of our own party, we came 
one evening upon a single Indian lodge. We knew that we could not be 
very far behind the Indians, as the last few camps we had passed gave un 
mistakable signs of having been but receiitly vacated, and when this 
lodge was discovered, it was surrounded at once, and found to be occupied 
by " Jim Dick." an under chief among the Omahas, who told us that the 
Pawnees had been joined by the Omaha and Ponca tribes, and that with 
this increase of their numbers, there were at least 5,000 Indians in the 
party we were in pursuit of, and that they would encamp that night about 
seven or eight miles farther on, having occupied the camp at which we 
found Jim Dick's lodge, the night previous, heliavinglaid over one day's 
tramp on account of his squaw being sick. This somewhat startling news 
called forth a hurried cousultution. Five thousand Indians could utterly 
annihilate our force of two hundred undisciplined and poorly armed men, 
provided the Indians were disposed to fight. Jim Dick told us that the 
Omahas would not join the Pawnees as they wished to remain at peace 
with the whites, but it was impossible to say what the Poneas would do. 
It was finally determined to go forward. The Omaha and his squaw were 
compelled to go with us under guard, in order to prevent the news of our 
approach being conveyed to the Indians, in camp. 

It was nearly night when we came upoa the lodge, and we proceeded 
but a mile or so before going into camp. Arrangements were made tostart 
out as silently as possible, at three o'clock the next morning. After 
supper had been disposed of, the cooking utensils and camp equppage were 
re-loaded, and every thing made ready for a start as soon as the signal 
should be given. The arms were put in as good condition as possible; 
bullets were moulded, and each man was instructed with regard to his 
duties. It was a misty moon-Jight night. The camp was near the banks 
of the Eikhorn. whose waters, rising in the far off Black Hills, at the foot 
of the Rocky Mountains, rippled past with a monotonous sound. Oc- 
casionally the sharp cry of the coyote would be heard, as he wandered 
forth on a marauding expedition, or the hoot of the owl would break sud- 
denly ou the night air. The sentinels paced up and down through the 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 17 

tall grass, watching with vigilant eye and prepared to give notice at the 
earliest approach pf danger. The tired animals nipped the rich grass, 
which abounded in the greatest profusion, keeping close to the wagons, as 
they always do when away from the settlements, evidently being taught 
by instinct that their safety depends upon keeping close to their masters. 
Orders were given for the fires to be extinguished at an early hour, and 
the men gathered about the wagons in little groups, and talked in low 
tones of what the coming day would bring forth. There was but little 
sleeping among us that night, but few jokes, and no boisterous laughter. 
It will be seen at a glance that the situation was not particularly exhil- 
arating nor inspiring. We were a hundred miles or so out on the plains, 
shut off from all chance of reinforcement. We were in pursuit of, and ex- 
pected to attack the Pawnee tribe, numbering 3,500 in all, and this tribe 
we found on coming up with it, to be reinforced by nearly as many more, 
t-o that if they were all " on the fight," there would be at least 2,000 braves 
for us to attack, and we were then within a few miles of that body of In- 
dians who were quietly encamped and resting in blissful ignorance of our 
proximity. 

At 3 o'clock in the morning the camp was aroused, and in a very 
short time we were on the move. Orders were issued in a low tone as we 
passed rapidly along. The trail ran near the river bottom, on the table- 
land adjoining, and we met with no obstacles whatever until daylight, 
when we came to a small stream which ran out from the bluffs and into 
the river. The scouts approached this stream carefully, for it was thought 
the Indian camp could iiot be far away. The creek was skirted with 
timber, which shielded our approach; and when the stream was reached 
the Indian camp was seen on the opposite side, near where it ran into the 
river. A large extent of ground was covered by the lodges, and here and 
there Indians were to be seen gliding about, entirely unconscious of our 
approach. In a very few moments, however, we were discovered, and 
the camp vanished like magic, and in an incredibly short space of time 
the wide river bottom-stretching out before us was swarming with red- 
skins, some mounted, some on foot, but all striving, shouting and yellino- 
to make their escape. They leveled their lodges to the ground, but did 
not attempt to take them away; they thought only to save themselves. 
TLe Omahas did not run, neither did they strike their tents, but remained 
in them knowing that they had no reason to fear the whites. Our mount- 
ed force crossed the stream at once and followed up the flying Indians 
but some time was lost in getting the wagons across the mirey stream. 
Finally the entire force, wagons and all, were safely landed on the western 
side of the creek, and moved up the river at once. The tall slouch o-ra-s 
through which we passed concealed a good many of the weaker ones 
among the Indians, who, finding themselves unable to keep up with the 
others, had dropped down in the rank grass, hoping to be passed by. On 
either side of us could be heard the cries and yells of papooses, who had 
been thrown away by the frightened squaws, in their endeavors to "travel 
light." Small dogs, pet badgers, wolves, and " sich," had also been left 
2 



18 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

by their masters to shirk for themseh^es, and they added their voices to 
the noise and contusion. It was a lively time. The sun had just risen, 
and was tipping the tops of the hills and the trees along the river with 
golden splendor. In a very short time notan Indian was to be seen, where 
but half an hour before hundreds and thousands had swarmed. They 
had taken shelter among the willows on the river bank, and in the breaks 
along the bluffs on either side of it. 

But they did not escape us. An under chief of the Pawnees, a fat old 
codger, who was trying to get away on foot, was overtaken by a horseman 
who shot at him and missed him, but just as he had secured a better aim 
for a second attempt, the Indian threw up his hands and surrendered. He 
was told to call his tribe together for a parley immediately, or he would 
be murdered in cold blood, The Indian was very glad of this chance for 
saving his life, and he at once set up a series of terrific yells, in answer to 
which one redskin would show himself at this place, another at that, and 
then after an interchange of yells and calls, the Indians gradually ap- 
proached our i>risoner, who explained to them that a parley with the 
" Chemokee man " was of the utmost importance at that particular junc- 
ture. 

By this time our scattered forces had collected together; the wagons 
were correlled; a line of battle formed, with the six-pound brass piece in 
front of it, and the horsemen on the flanks. When the Indians, who 
were lurking about, discovered the full strength, or weakness rather, of 
the force they had been running from, they left their hiding places and 
approached us quite readily. They were ordered to keep a respectful dis- 
tance in front, and only the chiefs were allowed to eome to the wagotis. 
The Indian force constantly received additions to its numbers, and before 
an hour had passed, we were confronted by about 2,000 redskins. The 
Pawnee chiefs were told that they could have their choice — give up the 
braves who had been engaged in the robbing and burning about West 
Point (for it was foimd that but a small party had been engaged in those 
depredaiions); pay the expenses of the expedition out of certain moneys 
due them from the government, or— fight us. One of the chiefs, a black, 
scowling fellow, with a sort of sheep thief look about him, wanted to fight 
us. He said that he had two hundred and fifty braves, and he knew he 
could clean us out, but the older and wiser heads of the tribe had been to 
Washington— that moral city of which we are all so proud;— they had held 
big pow-wows with the Great Father; they had gained a somewhat cor- 
rect idea ot the numbers of the whites, and of the power and majesty of 
the nation which we, with our single brass gun represented; and last but 
not least, those old coveys had a very distinct recollection of that exploit 
of Gen. Harney at Ash Hollow, and they begged of that bloodthirsty, 
belligerent young devil to "abate the ardor of his wrath," 'i for," said 
they — said those old sages, " if you do kill off this pusillanimous looking 
crowd of palefaces, you have not gained anything, for the Great Father at 
Washington will soon hear of it and he will send out more soldiers than 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA., 19 

there are sands on the Elkhorn, and we will be wiped from the face of the 
earth." 

It was finally arranged, after several hours had been occupied in the 
discussion of the matter, that the terms proposed by us would be acceded 
to, and then began a hunt for the Indians who had been raising Cain back 
in the settlements. By the middle of the afternoon we had seven young 
fellows tied behind one of our wagons, and we were moving off toward a 
suitable place to encamp for the night. Each of the head chiefs had at- 
tached his ''sign manuel " to a portentious looking document which set 
forth in the most grandiloquent terms the fact that the individuals whose 
crosses were thereunto attached, regretted exceedingly the depredations 
which had been committed by certain unruly and headstrong young men 
of the Pawnee tribe of Indians, and that they, the undersigned, author- 
ized the keeping back from certain moneys due the tribe from the govern- 
ment, a suflficient amount to defray the expenses of the expedition, and 
the signers further agreed that they would make no effort to release the 
seven young men who had been turned over to our tender mercies, no 
matter what we chose to do with them. 

When the young Indians were given up to us, a squaw belonging to 
one of them, insisted on being allowred to go with her brave, and when 
this request was denied, she screamed and cried, tore the hair out of her 
head by great handfulls, threw her arms around the young fellow's neck, 
and gave way to the most violent grief. 8he was dragged away from him 
with difficulty, and we then proceeded on our way, traveling but a few 
miles before going into camp. One of the prisoners seemed to be suffering 
a great deal from some cause, and upon one of our doctors making an ex- 
amination, it was found he had been shot through the body, and that the 
wound was mortifying. He was one of the party of eleven who had been 
shut up in the room at West "oint, and as he ran off, after getting away 
from the house, he had been shot by one of the whites, hut was not so se- 
riously injured but that he was able to reach the Pawnee camp, but since 
that time his wound had been getting more and more painful, each cay. 
The (doctor said he would not live to reach the settlements, and he was 
therefore set free and told to go back to his tribe. He was found the next 
morning a short distance from camp, dead. 

We enjoyed a happy, easy time the afternoon and niglitafter the con- 
ference with the Indians, naturally supposing that all danger was now 
past, and that we could return home at once. It was arranged that we 
should proceed up the Elkhorn a few miles further, then travel in asouth- 
erly direction until we struck the head of Beaver Creek, and then follow 
down that stream to its intersection with the Loup Fork, follow the Loup 
until we came to the Platte, and then keep along the Platte until we 
reached the settlements. We had a beautiful camp that night. Huge 
Cottonwood, walnut and elm trees spread their branches over our heads. 
A noisy little stream rippled at our feet, and the ground was covered 
with a rich green carpet of nature's weaving. Our minds were free from 
care or the apprehension of danger for the first time for many days, and 



20 HISTORY (iF WASHINGTON 

we thoroughly enjoyed our pleasant surroundings. In due time, a sup- 
per of black coffee, fat bacon , molasses, and a certain kind of hot bread,, 
peculiar to the plains, was prepared and eaten with a relish. The bread 
referred to was made of dough, composed of flour, water, salt aud soda, 
mixed up tough and then dropped into a frying pan half full of hot grease. 
It requires the stomach of an ostrich, or a very healthy man, to digest it, and 
it would kill the oldest man in America in three weeks time if he should 
eat it and follow sedentary pursuits. As it requires a considerable amount 
of fat to cook bread in this way, it is looked upon as rather a rare treat, 
something as "duff" is aboard ship. The usual way of preparing bread 
on the plains is to mix up batter and make " slap-jacks." It is expected 
that after a man has beeen on the plains for a week, he will be able to 
"flop" aslap-jack over in a frying pan, when one side is done,without the 
aid of a knife, and when he has been out a month, he is supposed to be 
able to take hold of the frying pan handle, thjow the half-done slap-jack 
over a covered wagon, run around to the other side with his frying pan, 
and catch the descending mass, dough side down. The old hands allow 
a beginner just a month in which to acquire this accomplishment, and if 
he is unable to go through with it without doubliDg tbe slap-jack up in 
the pan when he catches it, at the end of that time, he is considered a dis- 
couraging failure. 

As I said before, we were happy. As the sun sank to rest, and the 
twinkling stars came out one by one, aud the moon rose bright and clear, 
our camp presented a beautiful picture. A chain of sentinels surrounded 
it, but they were not so anxious or watchful as they necessarily were when 
upon guard previous to our coming up with the Indians. The song and 
jest passed around, and the hours slipped pleasantly by until it was time 
to " turn in." Then blankets were spread under the wagons, and as the 
moon looked down upon us, lighting up the scene with a mellow haze, 
we dropped off to sleep with the music of the rippling of waters aud the 
chirp of a thousands of crickets, hidden in the grass, sounding in our ears. 

We were roused up at early hour the next morning, and in a short 
time our cavalcade was on the move. After marching a few miles we 
reached a high point of ground, from which a magnificent and pictui'- 
esque scene burst upon the view. Far off to the noithwest we could 
trace the windings of the Elkhorn by the timber upon its banks, while 
here and there could be seen small streams which found their way from, 
the highlands across thebroad river bottoms. At our feet was seen the 
Indian camp, now a scene of active commotion, for they had just discov- 
ered our approach, aud were rapidly gathering their herds of ponies from 
the neighboring hills. It was a mutual surprise. We supposed the In 
dians would remain the night previous at the place where the pow wow 
was held, and they probably thought we had turned back that morning, 
intending to go home by the route we had come. 

We were in for it now. We wanted to go in a direction which would 
bring us very near the Indian camp, and if they were disposed to tight 
us, we would gain nothing by turning aside now. It wa^ decided 'hat 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 21 

we should get everything ready to repel an attack, move along as though 
the Indians were not there, and trust to fate for the rest Our six prison- 
ers were tied together and then fastened by a rope to one of the wagons, 
behind which they walked quietly along, surrounded by a mounted guard. 
We did not go through the camp, but passed along one side of it, A few 
squaws and pappooses came out to see us as we moved along, but the In- 
dians generally remained about their tents. Among the squaws who had 
come out from the camp, was the one before spoken of as having torn 
her hair and exhibited such great grief at being separated from her brave 
the day before, and when the wagon behind which the prisoners were 
tied, come up, this squaw rushed among them and gave her Indian a 
knife, with which he stabbed himself in the breast, and fell heavily to 
the ground. Of course the wagon stopped at once, and the attention 
of the guards was taken up with the wounded Indian, whom they sup- 
pssed to be bleeding internally, as but little blood was to be seen about the 
wounds, although a reddish looking matter, similar to blood in appear- 
ance, oozed from each corner of his mouth. As the guards were doing 
what they could to assist the Indian who had stabbed himself, his treach- 
erous squaw secured the knife and cut the ropes which bound the prison- 
ers together, and away they sprang like a flash, all the guards but one 
running after them, firing upon them as they ran. Mean while, the wounded 
Indian had stretched out, his eyes sunk into his head, and he gave every 
indication of being dead, while that squaw of his hung over him, indulg- 
ing in wild expressions of grief. When she saw that the guards were 
some distance from the wagon, she gave her buck the signal, and he 
jumped to his feet as agile as a cat, and started to run. But he did not 
go far. One guard had remained to keep an eye on the corpse, and when 
that corpse attempted to run away, contrary to the customs and habits of 
corpses generally, the guard drew up his rifle and called, "halt!" The 
Indian halted, and it was then found that the wound which he had in- 
flcted upon himself was only skin-deep, and that he had red ochre in his 
mouth, by means of which he had created the impression that blood was 
oozing from between his lips. He was immediately recaptured, tied be- 
hind the wagon, and the procession moved on. 

We proceeded about a mile, took up position on a high hill, and then 
stopped for a consultation. The guards who pursued the escaped prisoners 
had returned to the command, and reported that they had either killed 
or wounded all the prisoners except the one which had been recaptured. 
This was well enough, but in the exciten.ent of the chase they had popped 
over an Omaha, (down among whose tents the prisoners ran), and had also 
killed an Omaha pony. The indications just at that time were that we 
had cut out more work for ourselves than we could get through with con- 
veaiently. It was reasonable to suppose that the Pawnees had been 
thorougly roused by the occurrences of the last half hour, and if the Pun- 
cas and Omahas would join them, it was quite probable that they would 
" go back" on the agreement of the previous da3^ The Omahas had acted 
very fairly thus far, utterly refusing to have anything to do with trouble 



22 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

iuto which tne Pawnees had brought themselves, as they considered it 
"none of their funeral," but it was a difficult matter to decide what they 
would do now, since one of their braves had been wounded and a pony 
killed. We were on a high hill, about a mile from the Indian camp, with 
no chance to get wood or water, and it would be a very easy matter for 
us to be surrounded and starved to death. The prospects was somewhat 
gloomy and discouraging. 

While we were deliberating over the matter, we saw a procession of 
Indians leave the Onialia camp and approach us, " with stately step and 
slow," which procession proved to be composed of fifty of the wise heads 
among the Omahas. They marched in single file without a sound being 
heard, and as they slowly' approached us, we could see that their minds 
were filled with serious thoughts. They were decorated in a peculiar 
manner, their costumes indicating that they were prepared for either war 
or peace, as circumstances might seem to dictate. 

But they didn't fight us. our cheek and our extraordinary conversa- 
tional powers saved us for the second time. We reasoned with those 
chiefs; we talked as we had never talked before. We portrayed in bril- 
liant and glowing colors the evils which would result to the redskins gen- 
erally In case the Oiuahas and the Poncas joined with the Pawnees in de- 
claring war against us. We dwelt especially upon the immense resources 
possessed by the whites; of their great facilites for the carrying on of a 
prolonged and bloody warfare. We deprecated the accidental shooting of 
the Omaha, promising to hang the man who had fired the unfortunate 
shot. We made mention of the fact that the Omahas had been at peace 
with us ever since the first settlement of the Territory'. We had regular 
details made to talk to those old chaps who had one side of their villainous 
looking countenances painted red and the other black, and as soon as one 
detail of men would be exhausted, another took their place, and we out- 
winded them. Their desire for war gradually cooled, (nothingcould with- 
stand the avalanche of talk which we hurled at their devoted heads,) and 
they finally agreed that if we would leave medicines for the wounded In- 
dians, and pay for the pony we had killed, they would let us ofl". To 
this condition we assented cheerfully, and as the Poncas had signified their 
intention to do as the Omahas decided to do in the matter, the Pawnees 
concluded that they would not fight us alone. We left a horse for the In- 
dian whose pony had been killed, and we were allowed to move on. 
We did not camp very early that night. Every mile that we traveled, 
put that much distance between us and the Indians, and we were seized 
with a desire to make that as great as possible before stopping for 
the night. We were not all afraid toencamp in their immediate vicinity, 
bat it occurred to us that perhaps in view of all the facts it would be bet- 
ter if we were some distance from the Indian camp that night. We 
thought they would like it better. 

Soon after leaving the scene of our conference, we struck Beaver 
Creek, and followed along its course. We traveled late that night, and 
did not go into camp until near midnight. Keeping along Beaver Creek» 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 23 

we came iu due time to its intersection with the Loup Fork, at the Mor- 
mon settlement of Genoa, before spoken of. Here we were cordially re- 
ceived by the Mormons, who looked upon us as a band of brave and noble 
men who had sacrificed home and home comforts for the nonce, going 
forth with our lives in our hands to do battle in defense of the unprotec- 
ted settlements, and shield them from the devastating to rcli of the savage. 

Leaving the Mormon camp— in a manner becoming a band of heroes — 
\\»e journeyed down the Loup Fork, and reached the German town of Co- 
lumbus that night, at which place we went into camp. We also indulged 
in a high old time — we felt tliat the Indians were now safe from any mur- 
derous designs which we may have harbored against them, and we 
rejoiced to know it. We left one company of our command at Co- 
lumbus, it having been organized there, and after leaving that village, 
our force decreased very rapidly. We were formally disbanded at Co- 
lumbus, the different companies being allowed to return to the various 
settlements from whence they came by the nearest and most practicable 
routes. We were told that each company commander would receive the 
pay due his company, and that the members of the company would be 
paid by him. It was supposed that the government would enforce the 
contract we had made with the Indians, keep back enough funds to pay 
the expenses of the expedition, and that we would receive the money 
which was due us. But the Government recoiled on us, paid the the In- 
dians all that was due them, and we were left to whistle for our pay. We 
are whistling yet. 

Thus ended the Pawnee war. 



24 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 



MURDERS A.ND MURDER TRIALS. 



A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE IMPORTANT MURDER TRIALS IN THE COUNTY. 



There have been fewer men killed within the boundaries of Wash- 
ington county since its settlement than one would naturally expect under 
the circumstrnces. In 1858 a man named Blackwood, living near De 
8oto, was arrested on account of a difficulty he had had with a man 
named Lamb, in which he cut the latter with an axe. He was commit- 
ted to jail to await trial before the District Court of the Territory, bat 
broke jail, went to his house, and there barricaded himself. He shot at 
Harvey Estes, who happened to be jassing by, whereupon a warrant was 
issued for his arrest and placed in the hands of Wm. Frazier, Deputy 
Sheriff, who, in endeavoring to serve it, shot Blackwood. Frazier was 
tried and acquitted on the ground that the killing was justifiable homi- 
cide. 

In 1859 Henry Seevers, while under the influence of liquor, stabbed 
an Englishman by the name of Bovee, in a saloon at De Soto, with a 
butcher knife, killing him. Seevers was arrested and bound over to the 
next term of court, but the grand jury failed to find an indictment against 
him and he was released. 

In 1861 Hiram Frazier, a boy thirteen years old, shot a German who 
had said the boy stole a whip, the German dying within a few hours 
from the effects of the wound. The boy was sentenced to be hung, but 
the Governor commuted the sentence to imprisonment for life. Young 
Frazier served three years in the jail at Omaha, when he was pardoned 
out. The family went west after his release and settled on the Republi- 
can, where it is repoited they were all massacred by Indians. 

In the winter of 1869-70, oneMcAuley, a clerk at the Quimby House, 
was killed by John Jones, head cook at the hotel. McAuley was running 
away fr-ni Jones, when the latter threw a butcher's cleaver at him, the 
weapon passing between McAuley's arm and body, severing the miiu 
artery of the arm. The wounded man ran some distance into a saloon 
where he bled to death before the startled occupants of the establishment 
knew what was the matter with him. Jones was tried in June, 1870, be- 
fore Judge Crounse, now Representative in congress, when the jury dis- 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 25 

agreed, standing eleven to one. After they had been discharged it was 
found that the one juryman, who had stood out alone, was insane, and he 
was at once removed to the asylum at Lincoln. At the second trial, Jones 
was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. He was-: ably defended by Col. 
James W. Savage, now Judge of the Third district, and John Carrigan, 
Esq., of Blair, E. F. Gray, Esq., of Fremont, being the prosecuting attor- 
ney for the district at that time. 

February 8th, 1875, Phillip Kleinburg, in company with a neighbor, 
Herman Brandert, left his home on the Brainard farm, a mile north of 
Fontenelle, to haul wheat toNickerson station, three miles distant on the 
Elkhorn Valley railroad. Returning three hours later, about noon, he 
found his wife, whom he had left in the morning well and hearty, lying 
in the snow a few feet north of the house, with three terrible gashes in 
her throat. The ground where her head had evidently been 
lying when the wounds were inflicted, was covered with 
blood, and the body was then partially cold, indicating 
ing that death had ensued at least half an hour before. He ran over to 
his nearest neighbor, Mr. ('hristy Achilles, informed him of the horrible 
discovery, aud Mr. Achilles at once went to Fontenelle and summoned 
help. Tracks in the freshly fallen snow were traced from the body to the 
house of Chris Hamming, half a mile to the east, and corresponding tracks 
— apparently made with buffalo overshoes — were discovered leading from 
Hamming's house, to that of Kleinburg, and a pair of buffalo overshoes 
on the soles of which were snow and ice, were found in Hamming's 
house. Willard Randall, a young man nineteen years of age, had occu- 
pied this house alone for several days, and he was arrested on suspicion 
of being the murderer. He was tried at Blair, before Judge Samuel Max- 
well, in November, 1875, District Attorney Connell, prosecuting, and Col. 
Savage, of Omaha, and John Carrigan, Esq., of Blair, defending. The 
jurj' disagreed and a change of venue to Douglas county was obtained. In 
March, 1876, the case was tried before Judge Griffey, of the Sixth dis- 
trict — Judge Savage being incapacirated by reason of his former connec- 
tion with the case — and a verdict of murder in the second degree returned 
by the jury. The prisoner was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and 
is now serving out his term. In the second trial Mr. Connell was assist- 
ed by John C. Cowin, of Omaha, and Mr. Carrigan secured the services of 
Charles H. Brown, of Omaha, as assistant counsel for the defense. 

Last May Henry King, a German, was killed by Minor Milton, under 
the following circumstances: There had been some feeling of unfriendli- 
ness existing between Milton and two Swedes, named respectively John 
Christian and Jans Jenson, on the one side, and Henry and Edward King 
on the other. The parties all lived in the same neighborhood, some two 
miles south of Blair, and were in Blair the day of the killing, attending 
court. The King brothers left town in the evening in their wagon to go 
home, and a short time afterwards Milton, Christian, and Jensen left in 
the wag^n of the latter. It was not proven that tliey knew the Kings 
were ahead of them, but it was shown that after getting a few miles out 



26 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

they came within sight of the Kings and at once whipped up their horses 
in pursuit. The Kings gave rein to their horses, and finally drove into a 
farm house, about seven miles southwest of Blair, for protection. Milton's 
team was close behind them. The Kings jumped out of their wagon and 
started to run. Henry King was pursued by Milton, who struck him 
over the head with a heavy club, breaking his skull, and knocking 
him senseless to the ground. Edward King was also knocked down by 
either Milton or Christian, while Jensen held the team. Henry King 
died from the effect of his injuries, but his brother recovered. The as- 
saulting party were arrested, Milton found guilty of murder in the first 
degree, at a special term of court, held by Judge Savage in the latter part 
of May, and was sentenced to be hung September 22d, 1876. Christian 
was tried and acquitted, and a noils was entered by the State in the case 
of Jensen. John Carrigan, assisted by his law partner. L. W. Osborn , 
conducted the defense, and appealed the case of Milton to the Supreme 
Court, which does not meet until the second Monday in Septe nber. 
District Attorney W. J. Connell conducted the prosecution. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 27 



EAILEOADS. 



The Hioux City & Pacific, Omaha & Northwestern, amd Elk- 
horn Valley Ea:lroads. 



In 1864 was organized the Northern Nebraska Air Line Railroad 
Company, but nothing was done in the way of constructing a road. In 
1867, the company was re-organized, consisting of John S. Bowen, John 
A. Unihank, Dean C. Slader, Jessie T. Davis and T. P. Kennard, the ob- 
ject being to build a railroad from I^eSoto to Fremont. A land grant of 
seventy-five sections of land was donated the company by the State, iu aid 
of the enterprise, and a temporary line was built from DeSoto to the pres- 
ent site of Blair. In 1868, the comi^any disposed of its franchise to John 
I. Blair and associates, who, the following year, completed the Sioux City 
& Pacific road from the Missouri immediately east of Blair to Fremont, 
there forming a junction with the Union Pacific and Elkhorn Valley 
roads. A year or two afterwards the De Soto branch, or " plug " as it was 
called in derision, was taken up, having never been operated. Consider- 
able bad feeling was gotten up among the residents of the county in con- 
sequence of this abandonment of the original design to make De Soto the 
eastern terminus of the road, in Washington County, but that soon passed 
off. County aid to the amount of $75,000 was voted the Sioux City & Pa- 
cific road, in 1869. This road has been successfully operated ever since its 
completion. Mr. Scott Bryan is agent for the company at Blair. 

Evidently satisfied with the result of aiding in the construction of 
railroads, the people of the county, in 1870, voted in favor of issuing bonds 
to the amount of $12-5,000 in favor of the Omaha & Northwestern, and in 
1872, this line was completed as far as Herman, along the eastern line of 
the county. This summer it is being built to Tekamah, the county seat 
of Burt County, and will eventually be pushed many miles farther to the 
Northwest. Mr. Charles Willard is the company's agent at Blair. 

The Elkhorn Valley road does not run through Washington county, 
but is built in the valley of the Elkhorn river, on the west side of that 
stream, from Fremont to Wisner, affording railroad transportation to the 
western portion of the county, the river being bridged. 



28 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 



ROCKPOET. 



What it was in its Palmy Days— A Town of the Past. 



Time was when Rockport, situated on the Missouri River, about a 
dozen miles above Omaha, was one of the best known and most flourish- 
ing little towns in Nebraska. It was first settled in 1657, Wm. H. Rus- 
sell, still a prominent citizen of the county, and President of the Old 
Settlers Association, now residing near De Soto, being one of its founders. 
J. P. Burkett, Hawley Bros., David and Stephen Neal, and Dr. Lewis 
were also among the early settlers of Rockport. David Neal still lives 
there. Mr. Burkett lives at Yankton, and was at one time agent for the 
Yankton Sioux. 

Rockport boasted at one time, a fine, large hotel building, but for 
some reason it was never furnished, and was finally moved down to Flor- 
ence. It was built by the Town Company. A splendid body of hard- 
wood timber surrounded the town, and extensive stone quarries were 
opened and .successfully worked, in the vicinity. But the timber was 
cut down by the Union Pacific railroad company, v/ho also bought the 
quarries, I believe, and as there was no agricultural country surrounding 
the town near enough to be tributary to it, the settlement to a considerable 
extent, rapidly dwindled away after the stone and timber interest 
passed out of the hands of private parties, until now its glory is a thing 
entirely of the old en time, having passed into the keeping of tradition. 
Its lumber and shingle mills, which did a flourishing business, have been 
removed, and silence aud solitude now reign where once were beautiful 
homes and the busy hum of industry. In the long ago, the heavy timber 
and deep ravines surrounding the settlement, afforded excellenc facilities 
for the hanging of horse thieves, which facilities were frequently utilized, 
until finally an extensive and enterprising band of lawless horse- 
fanciers who made tlieir headquarters near De Soto, were effectually bro- 
ken up. It is a significant fact that the countj'^ lost a number of its most 
prominent and enterprising citizens in consequence of the disorganiza- 
tion of this band of horse thieves. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 29 



FOET CALHOUN. 



Thd Founders of the Town — "Jumping" the Town Site — The 
First Court — Doings of the Claim Club — List of the "Oli> 
Tmers." 



The town site of Fort Calhoun was claimed early in the summer of 
1854, by John Goss, Senior; who lived and owned a farm just opposite on 
the Iowa side of the Missouri river, and was soon after donated by him, 
(except two shares, one for himself and one for his son John Goss, Jr.,) to 
a company consisting of Cas^ady & Test, Addison Cochran and H. C. 
Purple, of Council Bluffs, and Mark W. Izard, Governor of the Territory, 
Andrew J. Poppleton and Hadley D. Johnson, prospective residents of 
Omaha. 

This company built a cabin upon the site of the old Fort, near the 
magazine, (which was a solid stone structure; 10x12 feet in size, and with 
walls two feet thick.) had the boundaries of the townsurveyed and a plat 
drawn, and divided among themselves. About this time, Maj. Ansel Ar- 
nold, (father of Rriee Arnold, the present sheriff of Washington county,) 
took a claim one quarter of a mile south, and moved his family from whei*e 
the present town of Florence now is — which was then in Washington 
county — on to it, bringing with him, a Mr. George W. Nevell and family, 
who were engaged by the Town Company to occupy their cabin and hold 
the claim. In January of that year, the boundaries of the county were by 
act of the Legislature, then in session, changed, and the County Seat Ic- 
cated at Fort Calhoun, and the county fully organized by the appointment 
of Stephen Cass, Probate Judge ; George W. Nevell, Recorder, and Thos. 
J. Allen, Sheriff. The county was included in the First Judicial District 
of the Territory, over which Chief Justice Fenner Furgeson was appoin- 
ted to preside. 

In March 1855, Mr. E. H. Olark, now a resident of Blair, was employed 
by the Town Company to survey off the town into lots and blocks, and plat 
the same, which he did, and had one hundred lithographs printed, which 
were divided up by the company, and sent to their friends to advertt. e 
the town, as was customary in those days. 



80 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

In June 1355, the first court was opened in the county in the claim 
cabin of the Town Company. It was presided over by the Hon. Fenner 
Furgeson, with Maj. J. W. Paddock, now of Omaha, as clerk, Gen. E. 
Estabrook, U. S. Prosecuting Attorney, and Thos. J. Allen, sheriflT. The 
attorneys present were E. Estabrook, Andrew J. Poppleton, E. H. Clark, 
and J. McNeal Latham. The first case tried was that of Elias Wilcox vs. 
James M. Taggart, for claim jumping. The case was prosecuted b\' E. 
H. Clark, and defended by J. McNeal Latham, and was decided in favor 
of the plaintiff. It was for the land afterwards jire-empted and now 
owned by Wicox, being a valuable piece of timber five miles west of Fort 
Calhoun. 

During this spring, several came into the neigliborliood. At this time 
the settlement consisted of Auselam Arnold and family, Geo. W. Nevell 
and family, Wm. Connor and family, Stephen Cass and family, Orrin 
Rhodes and family, Tliomas J. Allen and family, James Craig and family, 
Je se Estlock and family, Wm. Moore and family, James M. Taggart, E. 
H. Clark and several single men who have since left the country and not 
now remembered. There was onwed at this time in the entire precinct, 
only seven yoke of cattle and one span of horses, and in breaking prairie 
the settlers had to double teams, and consequently got but little break- 
ing done that season. 

In June of the year 1855 for the consideration of one-ninth interest in 
the town, E.H. Clark contracted with the proprietors to put up a building 
on the town site for a hotel ; said building to he 24x48 feet, two stories 
high, and with an ell of the same dimensions ; the structure to be of hewn 
logs and put up in good style. The contract was in writing, and as soon 
as the building Avas completed, each member of the company was to deed 
Mr. Clark by quit-claim his proportion of the lots to be taken indiscrimi- 
nately from all parts of the town. He immediately, with six men, com- 
menced the work of getting out the timber, boarding in the meantime 
with Major Arnold's family, and laboring under many disadvantages, 
both for want of skilled laborers and teams. The men were newly arrived 
from Virginia, none of whom had ever done manual labor, but were out 
of money and must do something; so had imposed themselves upon Mr. 
Clark as men from a timbered country, and used to such work, and as 
hands were not readily obtained in those days, he had to submit, paying 
them two dollars each per day and boarding them. For teams he hired a 
yoke of oxen from the settlers as thej' could spare them from their own 
work. What lumber was necessary for the building had to be obtained 
from Omaha (where a mill had been started) at $60 per thousand, and 
hauled a circuitous route by the old Mormon trail a distance of eighteen 
miles. As an additional incident to his trials, one morning at break- 
fast Mr. Clark was told by Mrs. Arnold that the last mouthful in the 
house was on the table. Maj. Arnold, who was absent for supplies, had 
been expected home the night before, but as he had not come, it was sup- 
posed that he could not get any team to come with. This proved to le 
the fact, and Mr. Clark procured two yoke of oxen and started at once for 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 31 

Omaha for provisions, thinking he could bring back a load of lumber as 
soon as to make the trip without, which proved to be a sad mistake, for 
never having driven oxen before, he met with many mishaps, and by the 
hardest work, traveling all night through rain and mud, only reached 
sight of home at sunrise next morning, when the oxen ran away, upset- 
ting the lumber and scattering the groceries all over the prairies, so that 
little was recovered but some bacon and a barrel of flonr. He found the 
family standing outside the house anxiously looking for his return, hav- 
ing had nothing to eat since the morning before, and who expecting him 
early in the evening, had hopefully watched the entire night through, his 
men having taken care of themselves by going off to the neighbors and 
leaving Mrs. Arnold and her then small children entirely helpless. 

About the 10th of August the claim cabin of the town company hav- 
ing been vacated, one Charles T. Davis, in a very unostentatious manner 
moved in, and filed a claim on the town site and served a written notice 
upon Mr. Clark to quit tresspassing upon the claim. The latter notified 
the company of his action, and kept on drawing material on the ground 
for his building, and after three days Davis sued him for tresspass, fixing 
his damages at $100, for which he aftei*wards obtained judgment, and 
Clark paid it. Mr. C'ark then notified the company that he should sell 
his material and leave unless they took steps to put the title out of con- 
troversy, Thej' returned word for him to go on with the work and they 
would guarantee the title. A day or so after, while engaged with all 
the neighbors iu raising the building, a number of the comjiany, with 
some friends, ten or twelve in all, came up and wanted Clark to join them 
in removing Davis forcibly from the claim, which he declined to do. 
While parlying over the matter a man was seen going at full speed on 
horseback from the claim cabin towards DeSoto, and, as it was already 
known that the settlement at DeSoto was to back Davis in his attempt 
to hold the Calhoun town site (DeSoto being a rival), Clark told the com- 
pany that the sooner they eot over there the better, if they were going, 
for Davis would soon have help from DeSoto. They thought not, and 
still insisted that all the settlers around Calhoun were interested, and 
should go and assist. The talk was continued until dinner time, and 
then the party went off to dinner, and when returning, saw three wagon 
loads of armed men coming from DeSoto and going into the house with 
Davis. It was then thought by the representatives of the company use- 
less to attack them, but they proposed that the entire party should go so 
as to show as strong a force as possible in order to scare Davis off, and 
that if he would not go, they would come up again with a stronger forc^ 
when he was not expecting it, and put him off the claim. To this the 
settlers agreed, and all marched over to the house, and were drawn 
up in line in front of the door, which was closed. Col. Addison Cochran 
as spokesman knocked at the door, which was answered by Davis from 
within, demanding what they wanted. Cochran told him that he knew 
that claim belonged to the town company, and that they wanted him to 
peaceably leave it, and that if he did not, they should put him off by 



32 



HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 



On 




force. Davis' attorney— Potter C. Sullivan — replied, claiming some legal 
ground for Davis' action, and it was agreed that he should come outside 
and talk the matter over with Cockron. While they were talking, the 
door was opened, and some one from tlie inside said he would like to 
" put a bullet through Thompson,"— one of the party outside — whereup- 
on some words passed when Thompson and the man making the 
remark, each drew their revolvers and fired at the same time, but 
neither shot took effect. The line was drawn up about twenty-five feet 
from the door, and as soon as these shots were fired, a dozen guns were 
seen pointing from the cabin, and shot after shot was fired upon Cochran 
and his retreating party, three of which shots took effect, one through 
the heart of John Goss, sr., killing him instantly ; one through the arm 
of H. C. Purple, in the shoulders, so shattering it that it was two or three 
3' ears before he recovered, and only after seven surgical operations had 
been performed by the most skilled surgeons of Chicago. Both of these 
parties were proprietors in the town site. The third shot took effect in the 
thigh of the Mr. Thompson who had the words with the man inside, but 
it was only a flesh wound, however, from which he soon recovered. When 
Mr. Goss fell, Mr. Clark was still standing before the door, and his escaj e 
was miraculous, as bullets whistled on every side. He immediately ran 
to Mr. Goss' assistance, and while holding his head, a number of shots 
were fired at him, and after laying him down and going in search of his 
son, who returned to the body with him, the occupants of the house kept 
firing at them, but with no effect, tliough not over fifty feet distant. The 
escape of the two men can only be accounted for by the excited condition 
of those who held the guns. The body of Goss was put in a wagon and 
conveyed to his home in Iowa, and there buried. This sad affair was a 
terrible blow to the little community, and none knew what would happen 
next, as it was feared such feelings were aroused that many more would 
be killed, by being waylaid or otherwise. 

The night after this affray, Davis sent his attorney, Sullivan, to Omaha 
to compromise the matter, he doubtless fearing another attack. The town, 
company agreed with Sullivan to arbitrate the right to the town site, and 
that all hostilities on both sides and all work on the site should be sus- 
pended until after "tii^'aftfti; the arbitration, which was to be by disinter- 
ested parties chosen, one from Bellvue, one from Nebraska City, and one 
from Glenwood. The time fixed was a month from that date, and when 
the time came the arbitrators could not be got together and, in fact, never 
did meet. Tlius the matter rested until November, when Davis, who all 
the time had not felt safe, made a sale, or pretended sale, to Major Anse- 
lum Arnold, Thomas J. Allen, Jesse Esttock, and Jame^ M. Taggart, and 
they with Casady and Test, John Goss, Mrs. Goss, widow of John Goss, 
Sr., formed a new town company, taking Mr. Clark in as an equal pro- 
prietor providing he should go on and complete his hotel building ac- 
cording to the original contract, which he did, and in March, 1856, gave 
Col. George Stevens, then in the Douglas House at Omaha, a one-half in- 
terest in the building on condition he would move into it and open a ho- 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 33 

tel. This Col. Steveus did during that month, and the house was long 
celebrated as one of the best kept hotels in the west. 

During this spring the town had assumed very considerable propor- 
tions. Buildings sprang up on every hand, among which was a grocery 
store, by W. H. Jacoby, which building still stands; a blacksmith shop, 
two saloons, and a number of dwellings. Among others those of N. Run- 
yon, A. P. Allen, (both of whom still live in the town) and E. H. CJark. 
The latter's house was burned down on the morning of the 1st day of Jan- 
uary, 1860, when the thermometer stood at 30° below zero — the coldest day 
ever witnessed since the State was settled. Through the spring and sum- 
mer of 1856 dozens were coming to the town every day, the hotels and pri- 
vate houses were crowded continually and many had to go away for want 
of temporary accommodations. Alonzo Perkins and Perkins Allen came 
with a saw mill and put it up under the bluff, close to the old fort grounds, 
Lewis McBride and Frank Fithion built a large and commodious store 
and filled it with a fine stock of general merchandise. Mr. Clark built a 
law office, in which Geo. W. Nevell— who the fall before had been ap- 
pointed postmaster— opened a postolHce with glass boxes, and all the par- 
aphanalia of a first-class office. A four horse coach was put on the road 
between Omaha and Fort Calhoun by the Western Stage Company, and a 
rushing business was done in all branches of trade— particularly in town 
lots and land claims, the former ranging in price from one to five hund'-ed 
dollars, according to location. A Court House was built by the subscrip- 
tion of the citizens, on one of the public squares. 16x20 in size, and in 
which the Hon. E. Wakely, now of Omaha, first presided" as Judge, with 
Geo. W. Doane, also of Omaha, at present, as prosecuting attorney, Roger 
T. Beal clerk, and Orrin Rhodes sheriff, the bar present consisting of 
Kline & Clark and Clark Irvine, of this county, and A. J. Poppleton, E. 
Estabrook, and Jonas_Seely, of Omaha. Claim jumping was common 
and many conflicts ensued therefrom— in some cases murder. In April 
one Isaiah Peterson jumped the claim of a Mr. Coon, having built a house 
in an out of the way place, where it was not known until he was occupy- 
ing it. Mr. Coon went to see him and was there found dead soon after- 
wards with a bullet through his heart. Peterson claimed that he killed 
Coon in self defense, which was not believed. Nothing further is known 
however, about it. Peterson was arrested and indicted but made his es- 
cape before Le had atrial as there was no place to confine him but in the 
Court House. Coon was buried on the spot where he was shot, and it was 
said by parties from the east when they went back home, that the coun- 
try was so healthy that we had to kill a man to start a graveyard, Mr. 
Coon being the first man buried in the county. The claim is now the fine 
farm of Hans J. Rohwer, who purchased it of Geo. W. Homan, sr., now 
of Omaha, and he of the Coon heirs. 

A claim club was organized at Fort Calhoun as well as in all other set- 
tlements, and on one occasion, soon after the killing of Coon, a stranger 
"squatted" on the claim of a member of the club, built ashanty, and was 
occupying the same when the club went in force and arrested him, 
3 



34 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

brought him into Calhoun and by the exhibition of a rope, extorted from 
him a promise to leave the country, which promise he fulfilled to the let- 
ter. In this peculiar line Fort Calhoun became somewhat noted, for 
soon after that another party was taken, on suspicion of being a hard 
character, to the Missouri river, crossed over to the Iowa side in a boat, 
and advised never to return, and has not since been seen in that vicinity. 
About the same time two horses were stolen from near Rockport by two 
men named Rowen and Brady who were captured and for safe keeping 
put in the jail at Omaha but before their trial were taken out by masked 
men, some of whom belonged at Calhoun, and hung to a tree, one of them 
the man named Brady, requesting that the rope be passed between his 
jaws instead of around his neck, which was done. Four of the parties im- 
plicated in this affair were arrested and imprisoned in Omaha, and after 
two ineffectual attempts to convict them were discharged. And very re- 
cently a prominent citizen received an anonymous letter giving him five 
days to leave the town or suffer the consequences. He went. 

Dnring the summer of 1856 preaching was had in the town once a 
month by the Rev. Mr. Collins, a Methodist minister located at Omaha. 
Services were held in the Court House, as was also the school and meet- 
ings of all kinds. A Sabbath school was started with eight or ten chil- 
dren of all ages and sizes and as many adults, with E. H. Clark as Super- 
intendent the first year, after which Dr. J. P. Andrew was elected Super- 
tendent and, with the exception of one year, (when a Mr. Davis served) 
he has held the position ever since, being re-elected each year by the un- 
animous vote of the school, aiid through his prompt attendance and effl 
ciency, it is now one of the most flourishing Sabbath schools in the coun- 
ty. A day school was also started, with Miss Lucy Graham as teacher. 
Col. Geo. Stevens, P. N. Stilts, and E, H. Clark were elected a school 
committee, under the school law of the Territory. 

During this season, the influx of immigration was so great and im- 
provement so rapid that it would be impossible to give anything like a 
detailed account of all, but the most important enterprises to the town 
were the steam saw mill of Perkins & Allen, heretofore mentioned and the 
commencement of the steam grist mill, which was completed and put in 
operation in 185S by Z. Vanier& Bro., and in 1861, passed into the hands 
of Elam Clark and Samuel Hale by virtue of a mortgage held by tnem. 
Samuel Hale, a year or so after sold his interest to Taylor Bradley, of La 
Porte, Indiana, and he a few years after sold to Elam Clark who thus be- 
came the sole proprietor, and he still owns and runs the mill. An inci- 
dent, perhaps worth relating here, occurred in connection with this mill 
property. The Messrs. Vanier finding that they could not jmy offthe 
mortgage on the mill, conceived the idea that if they could get the ma- 
chinery out of the county they could hold it, and that being the valuable 
part of the mill, they made the attempt by getting a large force to help 
them, and procuring teams from Omaha to assist, commencing 
one Saturday after 9 o'clock at night. They so far succeeded as to get the 
machinery all out and mostly on the road, some of it having got as far as 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 35 

Florence, when they were stopped by writ of injunction and the machin- 
ery all recovered and put into the hands of a receiver (Mr. James Thomp- 
son) appointed by the court. Mr. Thompson replaced it in the mill and 
run the same until the termination of the suit which transferred the 
property from the Vaniers to Clark & Hale. Excitement over this mat- 
ter ran high for a long time, some sympathizing and siding with the 
Vaniers' and others with Clark & Hale, and the community was pretty 
eqally divided between the two. The cause of this sympathy and divis- 
ion, however,dated back to the entry of the town site in 1857, at which time 
about half the citizens, with the Vaniers were on one side, and they still 
clung to them through the mill difficulty. This difference over the town 
arose from a conflict of town authorities. In January, 1856 the town was 
incorporated by act of the legislature as a city and a Mayor and Board of 
Aldermen authorized to be elected the following March and annually 
therefrom, and which were not elected until March, 1857. The land com- 
ing in market that year a board of trustees was quietly elected and organ- 
ized under the general incorporation law of the Territory by Alonzo Per- 
kins, the Voniers and their friends, who constituted the one side, and 
entered the town at the government land office in Omaha, claiming that 
as the Mayor and Board of Aldermen were not elected at the first election 
appointed in the act of incorporation, the charter was forfeited and they 
were not a legal body. The Mayor, however, filed caveat smd contested the 
matter, and after a re-hearing was succesful, the entr^'^ of Board of Trus- 
tees being cancelled and the town Avas entered by Elam Clark, as Mayor, 
and the lots by him deeded to the several owners. This so embittered the 
two parties that it kept a division in the town for five years. 

During this contest of the authorities over the town site, claim jump- 
ing was tried. Col. Stevens had built a residence on one of the most val- 
uable lots in the west part of the town and, having temporarily moved 
out of it, a Mr. Elisha Aldrich, one of the opposite party, moved his fam- 
ily in and took possession, whereupon the Claim Club went to move him 
out. Mrs. Aldrich sat herself down in a chair and said they would have 
to "carry her out if they got her out,"so the chair with Mrs. Aldrich in it 
was gently carried out of door and she was left sitting on the prairie. The 
house was locked up and was not invaded or molested neither was any 
claim jumping of any kind afterwards indulged in. 

By this time so many settlers had come in that it would be impossible 
to enumerate all. Among those now remembered, however, ia the pre- 
cinct of Calhoun were Maj. Arnold and family, Geo. W. Nevell and fam- 
ily', Wm. Connor and family, Wm. Shipley and family, John Ryan and 
family, John Kelly and family, W. H. Russell and family, D. B. Havvley 
and fjimily, James Goodrich and family, Orrin Rhodes and family, Thos. 
J. Allen and family Jesse Estlock and family, Hugh McNeely and family 
Mr. Johnson and family, .Tames Craig, sr., and family, A. Reed and fam- 
ily, Wm. Moore and family, Dr. J. P. Andrew and family. Col. George 
Stevens and family, E. H. Clark and family, Daniel Franklin and family, 
N. Runyon and family, A. P. Allen and family, John Allen and family, 



36 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

Robert Allen and family, Pat .Stettsand family, Miss Mary Ann Tew and 
family, Ela Stetts and family, Perkins Allen and family, Alonzo Per- 
kins and family, E. Aldrich and family, Wm. Frazier and family, Thos. 
Frazier and family, H, J. Rohwer and family, Geo, W, Doane and fami- 
ly, James Borland and family, W. B. Beals and family, Newton Clark 
and family, W. H. Jacoby, W. P. Rowford, James M. Piper, Chester 
Lusk, James S. Wiseman, Dean C, and Charles Slader, David McDonald, 
Chris Rathman, J. B. Kuony and family, Joel Neff, M. Gales, Levi Kline, 
Clark Irvine, James S. Riddler,Dan. W. Case, James L. Barbor,John and 
William Apple,A. S. Paddock, now United States Senator,Dwight A.Clark 
Michael Upton, Mr. Alexander (a noted Scotchman, who died at Calhoun 
in 1858), John Everheart, George Everheart and wife, Jacob Kreitter and 
family, C. Bannister and family, Geo. W. Homan, sr. and family, Paul 
Stallenburg and family Henry Frabm. 

As stated previously the county seat of Washington county was lo- 
cated by act of legislature at Ft. Calhoun in 1855. Three years later by 
special legislative enactment, it was removed to De Soto ; la 1861 it was 
again located at Calhoun, this time by a vote of the people, and in lSt)(3 it 
was fixed at Blair — also by a public vote, and there it will probably re 
main permanently. 

In May, 1856, the first Sunday School was organized and in 1857 there 
was a religious revival at Calhoun, De Soto and Fontenelle, at the eame 
time, brought about, mainly by the earnest, zealous efforts of Rev. T. B. 
Lemon, then stationed at De Soto. 

The following named lawyers have practiced their profession while 
residing at Fort Calhoun ; E. H. Clark, Levi Kime. Clark Irvine, Geo. 
W. Doane, W. AV. Toole, E. N. Gray. E. N. Grennell, and John D. Howe 
(now of Omaha.) Senator A. S. Paddook was admitted to the bar, while 
living at Calhoun, but did not practice. Judge L. Crounse, now our rep- 
resentative in Congress, located at Calhoun in 1857, upon being appointed 
to the third Judicial district. He still resides there and spends his tioae 
with his family, in their charming home, when not at Washington. 

Dr. J. P. Andrews (still a resident of the town) Dr. Wm. Moore, and 
Dr. Charles Lawrence, are the only medical gentlemen who have taken 
up their abode at Calhoun. 

Miss Cara Clark, now deputy county clerk, daughter of E. H. Clark, 
was the first child born in the town, that event oceuring in May 1856. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 37 



DE SOTO. 



Located in 1854— Religious Services under difficulties— Break- 
ing UP A band of Horse Thieves— A town site Jumper. 



The town of De Soto was ineortjorated by act of the legislature in 
March, 1855, having been laid out in the fall of the year previous by Dr. 
John Glover, Gen. J. B. Robinsou, Potter C, Sullivan, (now a resident of 
Oregon, from which State he lacked only one vote of being sent to Con- 
gress) E. P. Stout, Wra. Clancy and others, Judge Jesse T. Davis locating 
there in the fall of 1855. In March, 1855, a charter was granted E. P. 
Stout to run a flat boat ferry across the Missouri. Again in January, 1856, 
a charter was granted to Wm. Clancy and P. (J. Sullivan, to establish and 
run a steam ferry, and city bonds were voted to the amount of $30,000 to 
aid the enterprise, P. C. Sullivan being dispatched to the east for the pur- 
pose of disposing of the bonds and i^rocuring a steam ferryboat. This 
projectfailing to pan out successfully the eteam ferry enterprise was aban- 
doned together with the charter, and subsequently, in May, 1857, a flat- 
boat ferry was established by Isaac Parrish. 

During the summer of 1855 thirty hewn log houses were built in the 
town, and business prospects were encouraging. Dr. A. Phinny, was the 
proprietor of the first store, and. Charles Seltz who came down the Mis- 
souri in a skiff from the mountains, and stopped at DeSoto in the fall of 
1855, was probably the second merchant to locate in the town. Harrison 
Critz, and Z. Jackson, each established a boarding house that year, and 
P. C. Sullivan was appointed postmaster. 

In 1856 Levi and Marsh Kennard (both now residents of Omaha) es- 
tablished themselves in the mercantile line at De Soto, under the firm 
name of Kennard Bros. Tlios. P. Kennard, now of Lincoln, is also one 
of the early settlers of the town, where he practiced law and, later, kept a 
hotel. 

In 1857, a Mr. Fake, from Chicago, brought a heavy stock of liquors to 
De Soto, Samuel Francis establisded a hotel and the bank of De Soto 
entered upon a career of brilliant, but rather short-lived prosperity, with 



38 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

Samuel Hall as president, Geo. E. Scott, cashier. In the same year the 
Waubeek Bank was established with H. H. Hine, president, and A. Cas- 
tetter, teller, the latter doing all the business, and in the following spring 
the Corn Exchange bank was established by a Chicago firm, with J.Tuck- 
er as teller. Town property increased in price at a rapid rate, and the 
old settlers point with pride to the fact that a Mrs. Johnson refused f 1,500 
in gold for a certain corner lot. In 1857, the town had ten or a dozen sa- 
loons, nearly as many stores and a population of between six and seven 
hundred. Prosperity attended the settlers until the Pikes Peak and 
Cherry Creek gold excitement in the fall of 1857, when a majority of them 
abandoned the town and journeyed to the newly discoveied gold fields. 

Of course De Soto had a " claim club" in those early days, in order 
tu protect the first settlers in their land claims, and prevent their being 
taken away by later arrivals with more money, who came in before the 
Lmd came into market. However, the club had no serious difficulty with 
any one, and when there was no longer any necessity for the organiza- 
tion it was allowed to die out. 

The first minister who ever preached regularly at De Soto, was Rev. 
Jacob Adriance, of the Methodist Church. This was in 1857, services be- 
ing held in a buildiiig which belonged to W. W. Wynian, then a resident 
of Omaha, wlierehe edited the Omaha Times, and was afterwards postmas- 
ter at Omaha. He was father of the present Treasurer of the United 
States. It was in 1857 that Judge Wakely, Territorial Judge, Roger T. 
Beall and E. A. Allen, located in De Soto ; Judge Wakely's family arriv- 
ing in the fall. 

The first sermon preached in the town, was in the fall of 1855, by a 
strange old character who wandered in one day, announced himself as a 
minister and asked for a room in which to hold religious services A room 
was Ifurnished liim by Harrison Critz, proprietor of a boarding house, 
and it is remembered to this day, that the old man prayed that ''this 
people maj'^ not become as barbarous as other heathen," to which the 
crowd present responded, " Amen !" Another wandering preacher was 
preaching there somewhat later to a congregation which filled the room 
full to overflowing, when a party of rowdys vented their disappointment 
at not being able to gain admittance by knocking the minister over his 
improvised pulpit, by throwing a dead dog at him. 

In the fall of 1859, a young man was arrested on suspicion of being a 
member of a band of horse-thieves, which operated extensively in the vi- 
cinity, and was known to have its headquarters in or about the town. 
The young fellow '• squealed" on condition he be released, aud disclosed 
the whereabouts — in an old cave — of regularly drawn articles of organiza- 
tion, signed by the band, together with other valuable documents. The 
names of men standing high in the settlement and never before suspected, 
were found attached to these papers, and in consequence of their discov- 
ery, quite number of De Soto's leading citizens immediately decamped, 
and the band of horse-thieves was effectually broken up, though not until 
several arrests had been made. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 39 

A mile or two below De Soto, the Mormons made a settlement in 
1846, after having been driven out of Nauvoo, 111., and remained several 
years. Here were found well burned brick, in considerable quantities, by 
the first settlers of De Soto, which brick were used in walling up wells. 
Brigham Young occupied quarters one winter on the ground on which 
the DeSoto flouring mill was built a few years ago. 

Among the early settlers of the town, were the following : Judge Jes- 
sie T. Davis and family, Harrison Critz and family, Hugh McNeeley and 
family, Geo. McKinney and family, Sam Lewis, Z. Jackson, Potter C 
Sullivan and family, Ephriam Sullivan and family, David McDonald and 
family, Porter S. Walker, Stephen Cass and family, James E. Smith and 
family, Z. Meekam and family, George W, Marlin and family, Z. S. Mar- 
tin and family, Jeremiah Barnhart, Michael Tobey, T. M. Carter, (for 
whom Carter's Creek was named), Aleck Carter, Jr., Elisha P- Stout, Ed- 
ward and Edwin Haj'es, J. Bliss, Jacob Hill, J. T. McGiddagan, A. Phin- 
ney, Henry Way, Wm. Clancy, Jerry Sullivan, Charles Seltz, Roger T. 
Beall, E. N. Grennell, Geo. E. Scott and family, Samuel Francis and 
family, E. A. Allen, (now of Omaha,) Leroy and Lewis Tucker, with 
their families, Frank Goodwill and family, P. H. Knapp and family, 
Charles Powell, (now a member of the Board of Education at Omaha,) 
and family. Dr. Cutts and family. Con Orem, (who afterward became a 
noted pugalist in Colorado), A. Castetter and family, J. Tucker, J. W. 
Damon, Thos. R. Wilson, G W. Wilson, M. V. Wilson, Soloman Hime- 
line, George Obhurst, J. P. Ames, Constant Cacheline and famil}', L'^uis 
Bouvier and family. Dr. John Glover and family, W. H. B Stout, (now 
of Lincoln,) David Stout, Ferdinand Bujon and family, Joseph Buga and 
family, Geo. McKenzie and family, and John Carrigau and family. 

The first district school house was built in 1860, and was 22x40 feet. 
There had been schools taught in the town previous to this date, however. 

The lawj-ers who have located at De Soto and flung their shingles to 
the breeze, up to date, are : P. C. Sullivan, Charles D. Davis, Thomas P. 
Kennard, Roger T. Beall, Jessie T. Davis, John Carrigan and W. \\ 
Foote. The doctors are: Dr. — Cutts, Dr. — McLaughlin, Dr. John Glo- 
ver, Dr. — Cannon, Dr. Charles E nerson Tennent, Dc. F.H.Longey, and 
Dr. S. H. Fawcett. 

In 1856, Isaac Parrish, an ex- Congressman from Ohio, came to De 
Soto and "jumped" the western portion of the town site, building and 
occupying a claim shanty. The claim club called upon him and asked 
for an explanation, whereupon he agreed to give up his claim, provided 
he was allowed to put in a ferry across the Missouri opposite the town, 
which proposition was agreed to. Parish then jumped a portion of a town 
site called Cincinnati, on the opposite side of the river, at Shingle Point. 

The first child born in De Soto, and probably the first in the county, 
was John Critz, born in June 18-55. The first marriage was that of Thos. 
M. Carter and Miss Sullivan, sister of Poter C. Sullivan, the bride being 
but fourteen years of age at the time. 



40 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 



BLAIE. 



A Flourishing Little City.— Facts and Figures Showing its 

Progress. 



Blair can very properly be referred to as a " magic city." It was laid 
out in 1869, the first lots being sold on the 10th of March of that year, at 
auction. The town was locate I by John I. Blair and associates, members 
of the Sioux City and Pacific railroad company. The deeds to purclias- 
ers of lots came from John I. Blair and wife through W. W. Walker "at- 
torney-in-fact" until about two years ago, since which they have been 
signed by " The Nebraska Town Company." At the first sale lots to the 
amount of over $100,000 were disposed of, and the town built up during 
the summer and fall of 1S69 with remarkable rapidity. Its growth since 
has not been so rapid, but its prosperity has been unchecked, and the in- 
crease in population has been steady and continuous. The residents of the 
place have shown rare judgment and forethought in the planting of trees 
along the streets and about their grounds, and five years from this time 
Blair will be one of the most attractive towns in the State. The railroad 
company set a good example in the matter of tree planting, having, in 
the first settlement of the place, themselves i>lanted out a handsome little 
park directly in front of their depot. These trees are now so large that 
the park was used last Fourth of July for the ceremonies of the day, which 
were attended by hundreds from all parts of the country. The Fourth 
of July, 1870. was also generally celebrated at Blair by the residents of the 
''ounty. Then the public exercises were held in the pavillion of a circus 
which happened to be in the town. The oration was delivered by Judge 
John S. Bowen, and the celebration was a very pleasant affair indeed. 

The first business house established in Blair was that of Herman 
Bros., dry goods, and the next that of Clark «& Donovan, dealers in gro- 
ceries and liardware, who afterwards sold out to John J. Adams. Among 
ufher business men who located at Blair at an early day, and are 
now doing business there, are West & Lewis, dry goods ; 
Rosa & McBride, dry goods; J. H. Post, drugs; Haller & Lane, 
drugs; John Zerung— afterwards Peterson & Zerung— drugs ; Smith & 
Dexter, dry goods; Martin Gallagher, furniture; Mathewson & Logan, 
dry goods and groceries; Palmer & Co., dry goods and groceries; M. C. 
Huyett, clothing; H. McBride, dry goods and groceries ; Haller Bros., 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 41 

dry goods and groceries; William Maher, dry goods and groceries ; R. W. 
Dawson, groceries; Wra. McCormick, groceries; E. Fredericlc, dry 
goods and groceries ; H. C. Riordan— then Riordan & Kenney, and now 
Kenney & Stewart, liard ware ; Gus. Lunt, liardware; Graves & Freder- 
ick, agricultural implements ; Chas. Shesrig, bakery, J. Nestal, bakery' ; 

A. Casper, bakery ; M. Johnson, R.Waldo & Son, John Miller, Lewis, 

Valentine Ganz, boots and shoes ; M. C. Huyett & Co., Denney & Wild, 
Elam Clark & Son, James Foley, Kenney & Stewart, A. M. Crowdy, C. 
H. Eggleson, Foley & Lippincott, and E. M. Demmy, agricultural im- 
plements ; Miss Lantry, Miss W. C. Walton, Mrs. McKay, Mrs. 
Hiiton, Mrs. Sarah E. Hidley, and Mrs. R. W. Dawson, millinery, 
Hotels have been established and kept by the following named persons ; 
Keiley Bros., Martin Kloos, Wm. Maher, Wm. Carson, Mrs. A. M. 
Quimby, Mrs. E. E. Sketchley, George Seik, and Henry Seurt. Levy & 
Chapman, Hammersling, and John Coanell have been or are now en- 
gaged in dealing in harness. Butcher shops have been kept or are still 
kept by Sheeley & Irvy, Wm. O'Hara, Wm. Miller, J. C. Hart, M. V. 
Wilson, John Connell, Bowen & Parks, J. G. Smith, and John Parks. 
Grain dealers, Elam Clark & Son, C. C. Crowell, and the Blair City Mill 
Co. Blacksmiths, John Tew, Frank Stanford, Ed. Cochrane, and John 
H. Smith. Physicians, F. H. Longley, S. B. Taylor, S. H. Fawcett, C. 

Emerson Tennant, McLean, D. H. O'Linn, Wm. H. Palmer. 

Lawyers, Davis & Carrigan — now Carrigan and Osborne — W. C. Walton, 

B. F. Hilton, J. S. Bowcn, M. Ballard, A. D. Brainard, and S. H, Tucker. 
Real estate agents, Alex. Reed, Alonzo Perkins, A. Castetter. Banker, 
A. Castetter. 

The Blair City mill, which was completed recently, is doing a fine bus- 
iness. It is owned by H. B. Dexter, Eli H. Turton, V. G. Lantry, T. 
M. Carter, and Mr. Wortendyke. 

Dr. S. H. Fawcett is postmaster, with Harry M. Bowen as assistant. 
The asessed valuation of rea: estate, for taxable purposes was, last year 
$116,005 ; pei'sonal property $60,390. The amount received from taxes 
and licenses for 1875 was .?o,555.62. The liquor license is §(500 per annum, 
and the result is the town is not overrun with low droggeries. The license 
on theatrical exhibitions, circuses, etc., is from three to twenty-live 
dollars. 

The newspapers of Blair are leferred to in preceeding pages. 

The town of Blair was first under control of aboard of trustees ap- 
pointed by the county commissioners, and consisted of the following 
named : 

1869— J. H. Post, chairman, Alex Reed, Dr. F. H. Longley, C. B. 
Herman, M. V. Wilson. 

1870— Dr. S. W. Fawcett, chairman, J. D. Kieley, A. T. Chapin, John 
Ayer, Dr. S. B. Taylor, Alex Reed, John Carrigan, attorney. 

1871 — J. H. Hungate chairman, A. F. Chapin, J. H. Kimball, Peter 
Seih, Dr. S, B. Taylor. 



42 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

1872 — L. W. Osborne chairmau. J. H. Hungate, Peter Seih, J. H. 
Kimball, W. C. Walton. 

In September, 1872, the town was organized as a city of the second- 
class, and the following named were elected : 

J. H. Hungate mayor, Wm, Maher, E. M. Denny, John W. Tew, 
Mike Gallagher, councilmen ; Jno. S. Bowen, policejudge ; Rice Arnold, 
city marshal. 

1873— C. C. Crowell, mayor; E. M. Denny, Mike Gallagher. Wm. 
Maher, W. C. Walton, councilmen ; Jesse T. Davis, jjolice judge ; Thomas 
S. Heck, clerk , Joe Fox, city marshal. 

1874— Dr. W. H. Palmer, mayor ; E. M. Denny, F. H. Matthisen, 
Dr. D. H. O'Linn, W. D. Gross, councilmen ; Jesse T. Davis, police 
judge; Thomas Heck, clerk; Joe Fox, marshal. 

1875— J. H. Hungate, mayor ; Dr. D. H. O'Linn, W. D. Gross, Dr. 
W. H, Palmer, Henry Collins, councilmen ; A. Rockwell, clerk and po- 
lice judge; Alex Reed, treasurer, Joe Fox, city marshal. 

1876— F. W. Kenny, mayor; O- V. Palmer, W. D. Gross, H. C. 
Graves, E. Cacheline, councilmen; A. Rockwell, police judge; E. M. 
Denny, clerk; Alex Reed, treasurer; H. L. Fisher, marshal. 

The Blair High School building, erected in 1872 at a cost of $15,000, is 
one of the finest in the state; and with its efficient corps of teacher is fast 
acquiring reputation as a first-class institution of learning. 

Last year o\'er §300,00 was used in shipping hogs and cattle from 
Blair by regular dealers, distributed about as follows: 

James Foley, $100,000; W. W. McKinney, $50,000; Herman Bros., 
$60,000; J. P. &W. W. Latta, $50,000; Iowa parties, $25,000; O. Dodson, 
$20,000 ; G. W. Wilson, $15,000. In addition to this. A. S- Warrick, 
Charles Blackstone, R. Blasco, Joseph Johnson, Wm. Hilgenkamp, and 
other farmers shipped stock extensively on their own account, which 
would make the total amount of money used in this business during the 
season, probablv $400,000. 

The building used for a court house was erected for school i^urposes 
by a firm of contractors in Blair, as a private speculation. The school au- 
thorities did not conclude to purchase the building, however, and it was 
sold to the county. In it are located the offices of the county treasurer 
and clerk, a hall on the second floor being used for court purposes. The 
finances of the county have been ably managed, as a general thing, and, 
as it is one of the wealthiest and most prosperous counties in the State, a 
suitable and commodious court house is doubtless a thing of the near 
future. One bill of expense, to which the county has been subjected, has 
arisen from three or four protracted murder trials, in each of which eases 
there has been disagreements by the jury, necessitating a second hearing. 
The expense of the Randall trial alone was about $5,000 — a sum sufficient 
to pay court expenses for two years, under ordinary circumstances. 

The county jail is located several scpxares from the court house, and is, 
perhaps, less suited for jail purposes than any similar structure oti the 
face of the earth, being small, inconveniently arranged, and the cells 
damp and unhealthly. It was built sooa after the county seat was loca- 
ted at Blair, and cost some $S, 000. For this sum an excellent jail building, 
large enough to supply the wants of the county for half a century, could 
now be built. It seems to be au absolute necessity, however, that coun- 
ties in the west should pay for some very e.x^pensive lessons, and Wash- 
ington county in comparison with some of her neighbors, has passed 
through this experience at a moderate outlay. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 43; 



CUMING CITY. 



One of the oldest towns in the State— A College which has Na 
Graduates— A ekace of Ancient Newspapers— A Terrible 
Scare. 



The following sketch of Cuming ('ity, is taken from the the very in- 
teresting historical address of Mr. Perry Selden, delivered at Blair, July 
4th, of the present year : 

"Cuming City, one of the ancient cities of Washington county, was 
" claimed" by P. G. Cooper and two others, in September, 1854. No set- 
tlement was made, however, until the s^jringof 1855. when actual settlers 
early made their appearance, in sufltieient numbers to justify the project- 
of a city. Accordingly a "site" was located, mapped, surveyed, and 
named in honor of the Acting Governor, T. B. Cuming. It is claimed 
that the election for Burt county, in December, 1854, was held near Cum- 
ing City, on South creek ; while others claim for that honor, a position in 
the willows, on the bank of the Missouri River, near De Soto. The later 
is, no doubt, the most valid claim, as the parties to that election came up 
from Omaha on the day of voting, and were not likely, under the circum- 
stances, to go farther than across the imaginary line, which was at that 
time between De Soto and Fort Calhoun. Be this as it may, certain it is» 
that the regular election at Cuming City, in November, 1855, was held 
under a Cottonwood tree, near the present bridge on South creek. 

"Flattered and encouraged with the patronage of territorial officials 
Cuming City soon became a place of importance and great future pros- 
pects. The inevitable ferry charter was granted to P. G. Cooper in Janu- 
ary, 1856, by the legislature, and the same month " Washington College" 
was incorporated and located at Cuming City, and the same act appointed 
a board of Trustees consisting of the following distinguished persons, viz : 
R. R. Folsom, James Mitchell, T. B. Cuming, Mark W. Izard, P. G. 
Cooper, William B. Hall, John C. Campbell and J. B. Radford. 

" In 1857 the Nebraska Pioneer, a weekly newspaper was started under 
the management of a man named Dimmick. At the election in Novem- 
ber, 1856, one of the representative men of Cuming City and an early set- 
tler, Mr. James S. Stewart, was chosen as a representative, together with 
E. P. Stout and William Connor; while William Claucy was elected 
councilman. 

" In 1857 there was in Cuming City, fifty-three dweeling houses, three 
stores, three hotels, besides several boarding houses and a number of 
saloons. At the election this year Cu)ning City was again honored by 
the selection of two of its prominent citizens as representatives: Mr. James 



44 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

S. Stewart was re-elected with P. G. Cooper of Cuming City, and Alonzo 
Perkins, of De Soto, as colleagues. 

" In 1858 came into existence, and flourished for a while, the Cuming 
City Star, a weekly newspaper conducted by L. M. Kline. In November 
1858, by act of the legislature, the "Cuming City Ferry Company" was 
incorporated, and bj' the same act the former charter granted to P. G. 
Cooper, was revoked. This ferry company consisted of P. G. Cooper, L. 
M. Kline. George A. Brigham, and others. 

" The first general fourth of July celebration in Washington county 
occurred at the grove on North Creek, near Cuming City, in 1860. Almost 
the entire population of the county was in attendance. Judge John S. 
Bowen was the orator of the day, and the Declaration of Independence 
was re.id by Alman Bender. A band from Tekanmh was in attendance, 
and altogether the affair was a grand success without precedent or paral- 
lel in the history of the county. Cuming City at this time was more 
flourishing and populous than at any more recent date Although it con- 
tinued a place of some importance, yet the zenith of its glory had been 
reached and for the ensuing nine years there was no perceptible change." 

It was at this celebration that a newly wedded wife came near being 
abandonded by her husband. Among those present was a Methodist 
preacher by the name of Turman, who was stationed at Fontenelle that 
year, and was known far and near for his eccentricities. He had mar- 
ried recently to the astonishment of all his acquaintances and to his 
own also, no doubt, and he and Airs. Turman both attended this fourth 
of July celebration. As the people were leaving the grove in the evening, 
after the festivities of the day, some one in the wagon in which Furman 
was riding, suddenly turned to him with the inquiry: * Why, Mr. Tur- 
man, Where's your wife ?" "Sure enough," exclaimed the absent-minded 
preacher, as he jumped from the wagon to return to the grove,"I knew I 
had forgotten something," and he ran back in search of his missing rib. 
Among the first setttlers of Cuming City may be mentioned Jacob Pate, 
Lorenzo Pate, J. Zimmerman, J, Gall, E. Pilcher, P. G. Cooper, J. S. 
Stewart, L. M. Kline, T. C. Hungate, O. W. Thomas, Geo. A. Brigham, 
A. W. Merrick, L. R. Fletcher, Giles Mead, J. C. Lippincott, J. Boice, 
J. Johnson. 

In the fall of 1876 the Cuming City timber claim was jumped by 
some Irishmen. A large party, armed with guns, ropes and all the 
" necessaries" went down to the shanty occupied by the intruders for the 
purpose of forcing them to terms. They tore down the shanty and, not 
finding the larger "game" they expected, began shooting birds for pas- 
time. Some of the party had been left in the rear to take care of the 
teams and tney hearing the firing, supposed hostilities on a scale of unex- 
pected magnitude had commenced, and so fled to town in hot haste, taking 
the teams with them and giving the women folks who had assembled on 
Fish creek a terrible fright. An hour later their anxiety was relieved by 
the remainder of the party straggling in afoot and reporting nobody hurt. 
In the following spring the Irishmen were drowned in the big flood, and 
Cuming City secured her timber claim. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 45 



HEEMA]Sr. 



A Five Year Old Town That Has Built up Rapidly. 



The town of Herman was laid out in 1871, on a tract of land owned by 
tlie Omaha and Northwestern railroad company, James G. Megeath. and 
T.W.' T. Richards, and named in honor of Samuel Herman, who has occu- 
pied the position of conductor on the Omaha and Northwestern since it 
was put in operation. The new town soon became an important shipping 
point for stock and grain as it has been the terminus of the railroad up to 
this time, though at the present writing, July 28, 1876, it Is being rapidly 
pushed through to Tekamah, the county seat of Burt county. 

Dock Kimball was the first agent of the railroad at Herman, and was 
the first to engage in mercantile business there, in which he was quite 
succesful. At this time the grangers own and operate a grain elevator at 
Herman, as do also Elam Clark & son. J. J. Stubbs, formerly assistant 
engineer on the Omaha and Northwestern, is an extensive grain dealer 
andsois W. W. Darrell, who is also engaged in general merchandizing. 
W. S. Hichards is the postmaster and he, too keeps a large stock of dry 
goods, groceries, boots and shoes, etc. John Bradford sells groceries, dry 
goods and hardware; W. R. Fitch does the blacksmitning for the resi- 
dents of that section of the country, and L. Davis supplies the travelling 
public with livery and buys and sells stock. 

The town is surrounded by a sDlendid country for farming and stock 
raising, and is being rapidly settled up. It is the only town between 
Blair and Tekamah, and is destined to become an important point. Lots 
now sell at prices varying from twenty-five to one hundred and fltty dol- 
lars. 



46 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 



HUDSON 



A Paper Town, Better Known in the East Than to Its Next 

Door Neighbors. 



There are a great many residents of Washington county who never 
knew— and probably would have gone down to the silent tomb without 
the knowledge, but for this veracious chronicle of the past — that in 1856 a 
very enterj^rising citizen of the wooden nutmeg State, one W. E. Walker, 
was the sole owner and proprietor of a town site in a swamp in the ex- 
treme northeast corner of the count}'^, which town site he christened Hud- 
son. More than this: He platted another town site in a like eligible locality 
immediately opposite, on the Iowa side of the Missouri, called it Melrose, 
published beautiful lithograps by the hundreds, representing the two 
towns, with busy steamers plying between them endeavoring to supply 
transportation for the enormous traffic constantly carried on between the 
two towns. Armed with these, aided and abetted by a tongue remarkable 
for the oily rapidity with which it could be inanipulated. Walker mean- 
dered up and down the eastern states, engaged in lecturing, and, at the 
close of each lecture, would sell off lots in Hudson and Melrose, at the 
rate of one dollar each, with astonishing rapidity. A plat of Hudson can 
be seen at the office of County Clerk Jackson, and this plat shows that 
the town was comprised of 8,720 lots, consisting of fifty blocks, 2,000 feet 
long by 200 wide, four blocks of the same length, 100 feet wide, ten blocks 
2,250 feet long by 200 in width, and one block of the length last given by 
100 feet in width. The streets were front 45 to GO feet wide, and there 
was not an alley in the town. The sale of lots in Hudson was so great 
for the first few years after its location, that the county clerks accumu- 
lated considerable weath by recording the deeds therefor at the rate of one 
dollar each. The deeds were printed, the name of Walker being also 
printed, so that when lots were sold all lie had to do was to insert the 
name of the purchaser and number of lots purchased. The deeds poured 
into the county clerk's office from all over the east, and it is estimated 
that Walker made at least $5,000 by his scheme. To this day county 
officials are bothered with letters from eastern suckers inquiring as to 
the present price of lots in Hudson, and the writer was shown recent- 
ly a batch of thirteen deeds, which had been sent in one envelope from 
Chicago, to be recorded. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 47 



GRANT, SHERIDAN AND LINCOLN 
PRECINCTS. 



Some Facts Concerning the More Recent Settled Portions of 

THE County. 



The above named precincts are of comparatively recent settlement ; 
but wonderful changes have been wrought within their boundaries 
during the past half dozen years. 

Grant precinct is in the northern part of the connty, west of Herman. 
Among its first settlers were L. H. Thone, Martin Peterson, Gilbert 
Thone, Wm. Ravers, L. D. Camex'on, Fox well Fletcher, Edward 
Fletcher, S. C. Rose, Perry Selden, Frank Whizinand, Mr. Crane, Josiah 
Pace, Alfred Van Valen, Samuel Spiker, Thomas Wilson, M. P. Preston, 
Mr. Geary. Most of these men have now splendid farms, and are more 
or less engaged in stock raising. The precinct is well watered by New 
York creek and its tributaries, along which are beautiful valleys specially 
adapted to grazing, the grass growing rich and luxuriant. 

Sheridan precinct extends to the western border of the county, on the 
north. Its first settlements were made along Clark creek in 1856-'7, when 
that portion of the county belonged to Dodge county, though the interior 
and eastern portions of the precinct were not settled until many years 
later. Among the Clark and Logan creek settlers were Chris. Leiser, 
Charles and Fred Eisley, Uriah Thomas, Harvey J. Robinson, (who 
built the first grist mill on the fine water power now owned and occupied 
by A. C. Briggs & Son,) John and Silas Seeley, Sara'l Williams, Tom and 
Sam. Parks, Sullivan Gaylord, J. B. Robinson, John and DickShur; (the 
former was accidently shot and killed by Tom Parks during the Indian 
scare of 1859) ; John Cayton and his father in-law Mr. Clark, Chris. 
Hinneman and Mr. McBroom. At one time there was a postoflice on 
Clark creek called Lewisburg, but it was sacked by the Pawnees in June 
1859, and discontinued soon after. The following named liave located in 
the precinct within the past ten years: W. A. Johnson, Phillip Gozzard 
David Clark and his son, Hiram G. Clark, (who have this year nearly 
600 head of sheep, quite a number of cattle and hogs, barns costing $2 000 
and a farmof 720 acres, on which they ai'e raising 250 acres of corn in one 
field,) Archie Bouver, O. H. Hatch, Robert Adams, John Adams, Auson 
Hewitt, C. B. Sprague, Robert Schenk, Frank Hancock, J. M. Jackson, 



48 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

Joseph Cook, Henry E. Meservey, Mr. Arnold, Mathew Maloney, 
Thomas Dunn. 

Lincoln precinct was organized about ten years ago. The first move- 
ment towards obtaining proprietory possession of land in this precinct 
was made in the year 1856, by Pomery Searle on a portion of the farm 
now owned and occupied by E. G. Gaylord, (our present State representa- 
tive.) The following year Searle broke about 20 acres and set a portion 
in fruit and forest trees. In 1858 he went to California, and the first per- 
manent improvement was made in 1SG8 by the present occupant. Eight 
years ago there were but two families living on the route from Cuming 
City to Fonteuelle, viz : A. Southerland and Benjamin Taylor. F. 
Curtis had his cabin up, but it was unoccupied. On the north, to the 
line of Burt county, there were only four settlers. There were a few 
settlements on the southern border of the precinct. 

In the year 1857, John Mattes pre-empted the place now owned by 
William Hilgenkamp, and the following year a Mr. Coyle settled on the 
adjoining place north, now owned by William's father. With the excep- 
tion of Mr. Parker, who settled on the place now owned by Herman Stork, 
there was no new settlements made in the precinct until about 1862. Wm. 
Hilgenkamp bought of John Mattes, has added to and improved until he 
has a farm ranked among the best in the county. James R- Thorp 
bought the land he now owns among the early purchases, but went I 
think, to California and China, returning to his old home in the State of 
New York in time to enlist and go through the war of the Rebellion, af- 
ter \»hich, he returned and located on his place in the year 1868. 

In 1865 or 1866, the influx of Homesteaders commenced, and settle- 
ments were made by Geo. Morley, F'rank Curtis and John B. Young and 
sons, followed soon after by H. N. Mattison, his son George, Mr. Ostran- 
der, Mr. Jenson, Henry Hilgenkamp, Peter Hilgenkamp, and others 
who have secured good farms and are making the wild prairies teem with 
fields of grain, fruit and forest trees. 

In 1857, Wm. R. Hamilton, (county commissioner for six years past), 
and W. M. Saint, settled on the west side of Bell creek. In the fall of the 
same year, a party of nine Indians made a raid upon Saint's cabin, (he 
being absent at the time), robbed it of all the provisions, cut open the 
feather bed, gave its contents to the wind, replaced the same with the 
stolen property, secured it upon a pony, and then mounting, raised a 
whoop, and charged upon Mr. Hamilton and his brother-in-law, who 
were building a sod stable at his place, and who stood upon the defensive, 
arms in hand. After circlihg around them awhile in a menancing man- 
ner, and finding they "didn't scare worth a cent," the red skins came to a 
parly, and wanted something to eat. Upon being refused, they made a 
break for the house, but were beaten in the race by Mr. Hamilton who 
finally drove them off'. On the following day, Mr. Hamilton and Mr. 
Saint went to the Indian camp, on the west side of the Elkhorn river, to 
try to recover the stolen property, but were unsuccessful. 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 49 

The spring of 1858 opened with a scarcity of provisions among the 
pioneers, and Mr. Hamilton with a team of three yoke of oxen, started in 
search of supplies, and in the course of his travels found him self at Mag- 
nolia, Harrison county, Iowa, having crossed the Missouri river on the 
ice. After obtaining the needed supplies and starting for home, he was 
told that the crossing was unsafe, but there was no alternative. The fam - 
ily at home were in need and the stream must be crossed at all hazards, 
so locking the wheel of his wagon, drove down the bank upon the ice. 
While trying to undo the lock, the ice sankabout eighteen inches; he not 
wishing to travel in that direction, whipped up his team and came over in 
safety. 



50 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 



fo:n^te]s^elle. 



One of the Oldest Towns in the State — The Catfish AVar — 
Sinking of the Steamer Mary Cole— Church Organization 
— Death of Logan Fontenelle. 



In the year 1854, a company was organized at Quincy, Illinois, for the 
purpose of securing to its members and their families homes in the new 
Territory of Nebraska. The company was called " The Nebraska Colini- 
zation Company," though as to whether or not it proposed " colonizing" 
the entire area of Nebraska, tradition is silent. Certain it is, however, 
that in July of that year, Rev. W. W. Keep, Jonathan Smith, J. W. 
Richardson, Jaied Blanset, C. Bernard, William Flach and James A. Bell, 
(father of the writer), came to Nebraska in order to " view the land," and 
locate the colony on behalf of the company. They crossed Iowa in wag- 
ons—as there was not then a foot of railroad track west of the Mississip- 
pi— camj iug out on the way, and in due time reached the embryo city of 
Omaha, whicli had just been laid out by the Nebraska & Council Bluffs 
Steam Ferry Company. There is a legend to the effect that this latter 
company, becoming alarmed at the advent of the Quincy chaps and their 
contemplated rival town, offered them a one-third interest in the town- 
site of Omaha, if they would stop there and not locate a rival city. This 
offer was rejected — promptly and unanimously rejected — as our comjiany 
from the Sucker State desired an entire town of their own, and were not 
to be turned aside from their purpose by the offer of one- third of a town- 
site which, at that time, had no advantages over a score of other localities. 

Passing out beyond tlie bluffs of the Missouri and the tributaries to 
that stream, these Quincy pilgrims found a section of country which, for 
agricultural and grazing purposes, has no superior on this continent — or 
any other. Arriving in the vicinity of the Elkhorn, in their northwest- 
erly course, they came to a stream of considerable size, over which it was 
necessary to throw a temporary bridge, in order to cross it. To do this, 
some one had to " coon it" across the stream on a log, and this task was 
undertaken by Mr. James A. Bell. Before reaching the other bank, how- 
ever, he " heard something drop" into the stream below, and was sur- 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 51 

prised to find that it was hiaiself. He was at once fished out and spread 
out on the grass to dry. In consequence of this little episode the party 
immediately christened the stream "Bell creek," which name it still 
bears. Crossing this stream, the colonizers pursued their way to the 
banks of the Elkhorn, and were so pleased with the surrounding country 
that they decided to locate there, and the town site of Fontenelle was laid 
out, claims made, etc., by the party, who then- proceeded to the camp of 
the Omaha Indians— in honor of whose chief, Logan Fontenelle, the town 
was named— and held a grand pow-wow with the tribe for the purpose of 
securing itsgood will. They also paid Fontenelle the sum of ten dollars 
each, with the understanding that he was to protect their interests until 
members of the company could be sent out and established in their new 
town, and then returned to Quincy. 

I am not able to give the names of the entire membership of the com- 
pany, as it was organized in Quincy, but it included Jonathan Smith, 
President, Rev. W- W. Keep, Secretary, J. W. Richardson, J. C. Ber- 
nard, Treasurer ; O. C. Bernard, H. Metz, John Evans, (now of Kvans & 
Durnall, Omaha), J. Armor, H. G. Mauzey, E. M. Davis, W. H. Davis, 

Jared Blansett, G. Williamsons, J. Mcintosh, Rufus Brown, Root and 

James A. Bell. 

In the fall of 1854, the company sent out Judge J. W. Richardson as 
their agent, to occupy the town site, on behalf of the company. Judge 
Richardson was accompanied by his wife — now Mrs. \Vm. Kline, and still 
a resident of Fontenelle. At Council Bluffs they were joined by Col. 
Wm. Kline and Col. Doyle, of South Carolina, who had recently been ap- 
pointed Marshal for the new Territory. In November, Dr. M. H. Clark, 
was elected councilman, and Col. Doyle and Judge Richardson, represen- 
tatives to the Territorial Legislature, from Dodge county, in which Fon- 
tenelle was then the only settlement. The colonization company at 
Quincy instructed their agent, .ludge Richardson, to use every effort to 
secure the location of the Territorial capital at Fontenelle, and also dis- 
patched two of their number— Smith and Bernard— to Omaha, to lobby 
in that interest during the session of the Legislature. Their efforts were 
in vain, however, and Omaha secured the prize. They succeeded, 
though, in securing a charter for a college to be located at Fontenelle ; 
and to be run under Baptist auspices, a town charter and a ferry charter, 
the latter in favor of Col. Kline. The county of Dodge was organized and 
Fontenelle designated as the county seat thereof. During the session, a 
bill was introduced, chartering the Platte Valley and Pacific railroad com- 
pany, and on the 16th of February, ISoS, Dr- Clark, as chairman of the 
committee on corporations, submitted thereon a report of masterly 
ability, showing a clear understanding of existing facts and far-sighted 
grasp of the future of this great enterprise, from which report, I quote the 
following prediction. " In view of the wonderful changes that will re- 
sult, your committee cannot believe the period remote when this work 
will be accomplished, and with liberal encouragement to capital which 
yoar committee are disposed to grant, it is their belief that before fiftetn 



52 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

years have transpired, the route to India will be opened and the way 
across this continent will be the common highway of the world." Four- 
teen years and three months from that date, was driven the golden spike 
which completed this world's highway. 

The erroneous idea prevailed among the founders of Fontenelle, that 
the Platte and Elkhorn rivere could be used for purposes of navigation, 
and that water communication could be established between Plattsmouth 
and Fontenelle. With this obiect in view, the company at Quincy se- 
cured a small steamer, of the ferry boat style, and a'portiou of them, with 
their families, embarked at Quincy on the steamer "Mary Cole," bound 
for Fontenelle. The trip was made safely, until near the mouth of the 
Platte river, where she was snagged and completely wrecked. The lives 
of the passengers were saved with difficulty, but the cargo was almost en- 
tirely lost. Among the passengers on board the boat, were Samuel Whit- 
tier, (now of Fremont), wife and daughter Mary; W. H. Davis and fam- 
ily ; Henry Peters and family; J. Mcintosh and family; Miss Henrietta 
Redner, now Mrs. John W. Pattison of 8edalia, Mo.; Miss Phoebe Bar- 
tup, afterwards Mrs. H. C. Lemon and Mike McDonald. 

The first death in Fontenelle was that of two men who were killed by 
Indians, supposed to be a straggling party of Santee 8ioux. One Satur- 
day evening in July, 1855, a Mr. and Mrs. Porter, and young man named 
Demaree— the latter the son of a wealthy farmer living near Quincy, Illi- 
nois — came up from Bell Creek where they had been breaking i^rairie 
and encamped on Sam Francis' lake, a mile south of Fontenelle, intend- 
ing to go up into the settlement Sunday morning. As they were about 
to leave camp Sunday, a party of Indians rode out of the willows and 
approached Porter's wagon. One of them snatched Demaree's hat olThis 
head and was riding off with it, when the owner called to him to stop 
or he would shoot him, picking up his rifle as he spoke. The Indian 
turned, saw this demonstration on the part of Demaree called out 
" Pawnee!" and shot him instantly, the ball passing through Porter also, 
killing both men. The Indians then rode off, leaving Mrs. Porter alone 
with the dead. The horrified woman raised the head of her husband and 
vainly strove to restore him to consciousness. Failing in this effort she 
started for Fontenelle, perfectly frantic with fear and excitement, and the 
story she told upon her arrival led the settlers to believe they were in 
danger of being attacked by an overwhelming force of Indians at any 
moment. At that time the nearest white settlement was that of Omaha 
— forty miles distant — hence no outside assistance could be expected. Ar- 
rangements were hastily made to repulse the expected attack, but fortun- 
ately, none was made. The Indians who had caused the alarm returned 
to their own " range," many miles to the westward and were never again 
seen in that section. 

In consequence of this double murder, many long and weary months 
were passed before the settlers coijsidered themselves safe from assault 
and massacre by their red skin neighbors. The Governor of the Terri- 
tory was implored to send out troops, and a militia company was sent out 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 53 

by him to Fontenelle and stationed tliere during the fall and winter. 

T entire organization was called Beal's Rangers, The company from 

Omaha was under command of Captain William Moore as cajitain, with 

John Y. Clopper as first, and Hepburn as second lieutenant. The 

Fontenelle company was commanded by Captain Kline, Russell Mc- 
Neally being first lieutenant, and John W. Pattison second. The ladies 
of the colony having been deprived of religious services on Sunday for 
many months, after consultation, called at the camp of these warriors 
from abroad Sunday morning in order to see if some one of their number 
would not consent to lead in religious exercises ; but, upon arriving at the 
building in which they were quartered, were completely discouraged 
upon discovering the invidual, whom they had all agreed was most 
likely to be the person to assume these duties, lying flat on his back, with 
his feet perched in the air, singing " Oh darkies, how my heart grows 
weary." The ladies backed out at once, without making known their 
mission. 

In the fall of 1855 Thomas Gibson — now of the real estate firm of 
Schaller & Gibson, Omaha, — was elected at Fontenelle to represent Dodge 
county in the legislature. id^^ ^^m*^/*-"-^/-^. 

In May, 1856, Rev. Reuben Gaylord, of Omahayyorganized a Con- L^' '*^j 
gregational church at Fontenelle, consisting of the following named : 
Samuel Strickland, Mrs. Emily K. Strickland, Miss Emily F. Strickland, 
Thomas Gibson, Mrs. Sarah Gibson, James H. Peters, Mrs. Jane Peters, 
Rev. Thomas Waller, Lucien Kennedy, Rufus Brown, Mrs. Nancy 
Brown, James A. Bell, Miss Mary Bell, Edward Corless, Miss Mary Cor- 
less, John Francis, Mrs. Maria Francis, Silas J. Francis, Mrs. Celestia 
Francis, Cyrus Howell, Edward Holmes, Mrs. Elvinu Holmes, Wm. G. 
Bingham and Mrs.Lucy C. "Bingham. Thomas Gibson and James A.Bell 
were elected deacons, and Rev. Thomas Waller was appointed the first 
pastor. The new church was presented with a handsome silver com- 
munion service by the First Congregational church of Quincy, Illinois. 
Since that time the following named have served as pastors of the church : 
Rev. E. B. Hurlbut, Rev. Wm. McCandlish, Rev. L. H. Jones, Rev. C. 
E. Bisbee, Rev. Isiah Smith, Rev. Thomas Douglas, Rev. Reuben Gay- 
lord. A Sunday school was organized at the same time the church was. 

In addition to those named above as joining the Congregational 
church, there were living at Fontenelle and in the vicinity, at that time 
or came in during the summer of 1856, the following : Judge and Mrs. 
Richardson, John W\ Pattison, Chris. Leiser and faoaily. Col. Kline, 
Samuel Whittier and family, Rev. J. M. Taggart— now of Palmyra, 
]Sreb.— and family. Miss Ellen Gritteth, Willis Carr, Eli, Harlow and 
Edward Carpenter, Isaac Underwood and family, Mrs. Denslow and 
family, B. L. Keyes and family, Wm. M. Saint, John Baty and family, 
John Evans and family, Rufus Brown and family, Henry Sprick, John 
K. Cramer and family, Ab. Yost, Wm. and Theodore Keep, Miss Caroline 
Davis. Wm, H. Davis and family, Christy Archilles and family, Morris 
Wogan and family, Arthur Bloomer, John Bloomer, D.ivid Bloomer, 



54 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

Thomas Fitzsimmons and family, Sam. Francis and family, Wm. H. 
Johnson, Henry C. Lemon and family, George Hindlej^, Jared Blansett, 
Wm. Flach and family, Mr. Osterman and family, J. M. Hancock and 
family, Jacob Canaya and family, John Ray and family. Deacon Searle 
and familj', John and Silas Seeley, Pomeroy Searle, Sam. Williams and 
family, Hiram Ladd and family, Sumner D. Preseott, Wm. R. Hamilton 
and family, Henry Brinkman and family, Wm. Hecker Sr., Orlando and 
Pierce Himebaugh, W^m. C. Hecker, Julius Brainard and family — now of 
Blair. 

In 1856 a college building was erected by the Congregationalists, to 
whom the Baptists has assigned their charter. A flourishing school was 
kept up for a number of years, Prof. Burt being the first teacher, and the 
building was used for lyceums and all kinds of public meetings, the first 
settlers of Fontenelle being an eminently sociable people. Annual fes- 
tivals, with bounteous suppers, were held in the college building about 
New Year's day, until about the close of the war, to which festivals the 
settlers, for many miles around, came regularly, bringing well laden 
baskets, and when the contents of these baskets were distributed and ar- 
ranged on the long tables, the only reason the latter didn't groan was 
because they were not of the groaning kind. 
(fvJ 7 I In the summer of 1856, a Methodist church was organized by Rev. 
'"^'^Z^ Jerome Spillman — now of Atlanta, Georgia, — and, in 1863, a Presbyterian 
church was organized by Rev. Wm. McCandlish, who settled in Fonte- 
nelle in 1858, and is now agent for the American Bible Society for Nebras- 
ka, Wyoming and Colorado. The Lutherans organized a church about 
the same time, with Rev. J. F. Kuhlman, — now residing at Ponca City, 
Neb.,— as their first pastor. 

The Pawnee war of 1859, described at length in preceding pages, was 
a serious detriment to the settlers of Fontenelle. When the Indians first 
came over from their villages on the Platte, they pillaged extensively from 
the citizens. While thus engaged, parties of a dozen or more were driven 
from their respective premises, by Mrs, Kline and Mrs. Hiram Ladd. In 
coming down from West Point, after the killing of the Indians there> 
Wm. H. Johnson, Henry Sprick, Wm. C. Hecker and Mr. Artmau be- 
came detached from the rest of the party, and were compelled to foot it to 
Fontenelle, distant some thirty miles. They avoided the road, and, as 
they traveled cautiously over the wild prairie, thought tliey saw a party 
of savages in the distance, and at once took refuge in a slough, where 
they remained in the water and grass until dark. Upon reaching Fonte- 
nelle, they learned that the party they had mistaken for Indians were 
white men. 

In March, 1857, a Mr. Martin, of Fremont, was drowned in attemnt- 
ing to ford the Elkhorn at Fontenelle, and on the 5th of July, 1867, a ter 
rible accident befell the families of Rev. O. C. Dake and John Ray, of 
Fremont. They were returning home from Fontenelle, where they had 
been spending the Fourth, when, in crossing the Elkhorn in the flat boat 
ferry, their wagon was backed off into the river by the restive horses. 



II 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA, 55 

The water proved to be only waist deep, but in consequence of a belief 
that it was much deeper— Messes Dake and Ray being unable to t^wim— 
two of Mr. Dake's and three of Mr. Ray's children were drowned. 

In the winter of lS58-'9 Fontenelle became a part of Washington 
county in consequence of a reorganization of the county lines. 

The first school was taught in the winter of 1855-6 by Miss Emily 
Strickland, the next by Wm. M. Saint, and the third by Pomeroy 
Searle, 

The first stock of goods was brought to the new settlement in 1855 by 
Wm. H. Davis, who also kept the first hotel— a double log house called 
the Fontenelle House. He was bought out by J. M. Hancock, in lSoC>, 

The first child born in the town was Mattie Francis, daughter of .Sam- 
uel Francis— October 2d, 1855. A few hours later, the same night, a 
daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. H. Davis, and named Fontenel- 
la. The town company had promised a town lot to the parents of the 
first child born in the town, and consequently the first birth was a mat- 
ter of general interest. It is said that one good lady, who had a child 
born a day or two after those mentioned above, consoled her somewhat 
disappointed family with the remark: "Well, never mind, papa is ab'.e 
to buy town lots for his children." fj^ >2<uv^»<» 

The first marriage that occurred at Fontenelle was that of Henry 
Whittier and Miss Emily Strickland, in the fall of 185G. | Harlow Carpen- 
ter and Miss Ellen Griffith were married during the following winter. 
Also that fall there were a couple of runaway matches, the parties being 
married under a cedar tree on the banks of the Elkhorn in a driving rain, 
by Rev. Silas J. Francis. The parties were Frank Fox, and Miss Har- 
riet Whittier, and John W. P/rttison and Miss Henrietta Reduer. 

In the summer of 1855, Harlow Carpenter, John Cramer, Isaac Un- 
derwood, and ethers, commenced the manufacture of brick, but their la- 
bors were suspended by the " catfish war," of that summer, after they had 
about ten thousand brick ready for the kiln. The next summer John 
Ray burned a large kiln. 

The first saw mill was erected by Samuel and Silas Francis, in the 
summer of 1856, They sold it that fall to Wm. H. Johnson and Henry 
C. Lemon. 

Perhaps I cannot close my sketch of the first settlement of Fontenelle 
better than by giving the following interesting account of the 
death and burial of the man after whom it is named, which account 
I take from S. T. Bangs' centennial history of Sarpy county: 

" Logan Fontenelle was a half breed, his father being French. He was 
educated in St. Louis; spoke English fluently, and was at this time about 
thirty years of age, of medium height, swarthy complexion, black hair 
and dark pierciag eyes. In the middle of the summer of 1855 a process- 
sion might have been seen wending its way towards the old home of Lo- 
gan Fontenelle on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri river and above 
the stone quarries at Bellvue. It moved slowly along led by Louis San- 
so-see, who was driving a team with a wagon in which, wrapped in 
blankets and buffalo robes, was all that was mortal of Logan Fontenelle, 
the chief of the Omahas. On either side the Indian chiefs and braves 



56 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

mounted Oil ponies, with the squaws and relatives of the deceased, ex^ 
pressed their grief in mournful outcries. His remains were taken to the 
house which he.had left a short time before, and now, desolate and afflicted, 
they related the'incidents of his death. He had been killed by the Sioux 
on the Loup Fork thirteen days before, while on a hunt with the Oma- 
has. Having left the main body with San-so-see in pursuit of game, and 
while in a ravine that hid them from the sight of the Omahas, they came 
in contact with a band of Sioux on the war-path, who attacked them. 
San-so-see escaped in some thick underbrush while Fontenelle stood his 
ground, fighting desperately and killing three of his adversaries, when he 
fell, pierced with fourteen arrows, and the prized scalp-lock was taked by 
his enemies. The Omahas did not recover his body until the next 
day. 

" It was the wish of Col. Sarpy to have him interred on the bluffs, front- 
ing the house in which he had lived, and a coffin was made which proved 
too small without unfolding the blankets which enveloped him, and as 
he had been dead so long, this was a disagreeabe task. After putting him 
in the coffin, his wives who witnessed the scene uttered the most piteous 
cries, cutting their ankles until the blood ran in streams. An old Indian 
woman who looked like the witch of Endor, standing between the house 
and the grave, lifted her arms to Heaven and shrieked her maledictions 
upon the heads of his murderers. Colonel Sarpy, Stephen Decatur, Mrs. 
Sloan, an Otoe half breed and others stood over the grave where his body 
was being lowered, and while Decatur was reading the impressive funeral 
service of the Episcopal church, he was interrupted by iSIrs. Sloan, who 
stood b.y his side and in a loud tone told him that 'a man of his charac- 
ter ought to be ashamed of himself to make a mockery of the Christian 
religion by reading the solemn services of the church.' He juoeeeded, 
however, until the end. After the whites, headed by Col. Sarpy, had paid 
their last respects, the Indians filetl around the grave, and made a few 
demonstrations of sorrow; the whites dispersing to their homes, and the 
Indians to relate their own exploits and the daring of their dead chief." 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 5 7 



BELL CREEK. 



An Enterprising Town on the Sioux City & Pacific— A Gratify- 
iiNG Exhibit of what has been Accomplished in Six Years. 



One of the most enterprising railroad towns in the county, is that of 
Bell Creek, situared on the Sioux City & Pacific railroad, on a beautiful 
stretch of table land, between the Elkhorn river and the creek after which 
the town was named. It was laid out by the railroad company in 
1869, the company having purchased 120 acres from a Mr. Carter, 160 
from John Gannon, and 160 from another party, for town purposes. Only 
a portion of this land was platted, however, the remainder being held as 
a "reserve" for further use. The lots are 60 by 1-40 feet, divided at right 
angles by streets eighty and alleys twenty feet wide, and are now selling 
at from $40 to $150. The place now has a population of near three hun- 
dred of as enterprising, energetic citizens as can be found anywhere, all 
of whom realize the advantages possessed by their town, and have a well- 
grounded faith in her future, as is evidenced by the efforts they are mak- 
ing to build up the place, and the additional fact that none are willing to 
sell out. 

The first improvements were made on the town site in 1869, when the 
railroad company erected a handsome and commodious depot, and a large 
store building, and two residences were built and a lumber yard opened 
by Samuel A. Francis— one of the early settlers of Fontenelle— and his 
brother-in-law, John Waynick, of Chariton, Iowa. Next a grain ware- 
house was built and successfully operated by L. H. Jones, who was the 
first station agent of the railroad company, and soon after, A. C. Mans- 
field opened a store with a large stock of goods, specially adapted to the 
Avants of the country. In 1870, Dr. S. G. Glover, opened a drug store. 
John Butler built a blacksmith shop, and John A. XJnthank. a grain ele- 
vator. 

In 1872, Nathan Foster, engaged in the lumber business in the new 
town. E. K. Gilbert opened a shoe shop, and Butler's blacksmith shop 
was bought by Chris. Hamming, J. C. Blackburn engaged extensively 
in the sale of hardware and agricultural implements, W. J. Crane became 
agent for the railroad company, vice Jones, and also engaged in grain buy- 



68 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

ing in company with R. E. Roberts, and G. Hershoff, bought out Ham- 
ming's blacksmith shop. 

In 1873, David Bender established a grocery store, Silas Masters 
built the Eagle Hotel, R E. Roberts built a grain warehouse — which af- 
terwards developed into a 1 irge elevator — Mr. Bender sold out his grocery 
and in company with Hayman Chapman went into the dry goods and gro- 
cery business on a more extensive scale, a lodge of Odd Fellows and an- 
other of the Sons of Temperance were organized, Williams & Curtis 
opened a paint shop, W. S. Cook a meat market and Henry Osterman a 
saloon. 

During 1874, a blacksmith shop was built by John Hamming and a 
wagon shop by J. H. Stewart. 

In 1875, the Masons organized a lodge. Bender & Chapman hav- 
ing dissolved, Mr. Chapman started in business for himself in the 
same line, W. Crane resigned his position of station aaient, closed out 
a stock of goods bought of Mr. Chapman, in the following spring, and 
went into a general insurance, real estate and collecting business. A pub- 
lic school building to cost $5,000 was commenced and is now about com- 
pleted, Joseph Snyder opened a shoe shop, and Dr. Elwood associated him- 
self in the practice of medicine with Dr. Glover. Thus far this year no 
material business changes have taken place in the town, though it shows 
a steady increase of population. 

The first marriage in Bell Creek was that of Mr. Joshua G. Benster 
and Miss Cora Jones, daughter of L. H. Jones, the first birth being that of 
a son of Mr. Butler whom he named Bertie. Miss Kate Parker taught the 
first school. The town commands the trade of a splendid section of the 
country, and is accessible therefrom at all seasons of the year by means 
of ridge roads which cross but few streams or sloughs. There is no town 
in the state of equal size from which more grain, cattle and hogs are 
shipped, for the handling of which first-class facilities have been pro- 
vided. Last year Mr. Blackburn did a business of $20,000 in hardware, 
wagons, agricultural implements, etc., while Mansfield and Chapman, 
the leading merchants, each sold nearly that ainount of goods. 






COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 59 



RICHLAND PRECIIs^CT. 



An Old Time Settlement— How it Got its Name. 



The settlement of what is now the southwestern part of Washuigton 
county was begun in the summer of 1856. Russel Miller and his three 
«ons-in-law made the first honajid^ settlement. They all took three hun- 
dred and twenty acre claims, agreeably to the Omaha Club law. which 
became the rule also of the Elkhorn club. Miller took the north halt ot 
section 28, and Adams, Lyons, and Dowling, his three sons-in law, tooK 
adjoining claims. Miller broke some prairie and they erected two or 
three houses. Miller bought the claim of one who had preceede.l him, 
and who perhaps did the first breaking and built the first house.in which 
Mrs Adams lived and died. When the precinct was formed it was called 
Richland because Miller refused to have it called by his name and sug- 
gested the name of Richland, that being the place in Ohio from which he 



came. 



Henry Wright broke a strip where S. S. Blanchard lives. He sold to 
Mr W E Purchase, and "held" the claim for him for a while. Pur- 
chase brought a saw mill that summer or fall, the third in all the country 
around. The first was at Fontenelle; Shields', at Elkhorn ferry on the 
military road to Fort Kearney, was second, and the one at Iron tlurts or 
at West Point made the fourth. A man by the name of Oaks who mere- 
ly held the claim without breaking the sod was located just north of L. 
P. Jenks. Fox, of Fontenelle carried the mail on foot to and from Oma- 
ha, forty miles. . . ^fnoTohc, r 
Some time that summer (1856) H. R. Benjamin, now of Omaha_ a 
A Whitford, and Odillon Whitford took claims in sections 8 and J. ihey 
tilf a substantial log house, very near where C. A. '^'-^^ ^^ 
dence is It was for years after known as the Indiana House, that being 
Upstate from whichW came. Silas Masters ^-j^f^^^ St bTu^ht 
farm in the fall of ISSC.-Dennis, Caleb Winch, and AdaniS^^^^^^^ 
claims and occupied them in the fall and winter of 18. >-, Dennis, wheie 
A F Warner now lives; Winch, at L. P. Jenks' residence, and Stud, 
thL that of F. Benard now is. Theophilus Thompson a.dRB. 
Brown wintered at Thompson's west of Blanchard's, on ^\a nut creek. 
±>iown wmieieu ctu ^f rp^^i^,,,. orrin Colby came in the summer 
Brown's claim was south ot iayloi s. uinn v^uiu^ 



60 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

of 1856 and put up a small house near his present dwelling, and now has 
one of the finest farms in the country. McNaughton occupied a little 
cabin where George T. Taylor's farm house now stands. 

In the spring of 1857, a number of settlers came in. Judge J.S.Bowen,now 
editor of the Blair Times, his son Will R. Bowen, now of Omaha, and Dr. 
Heaton took claims in sections 13 and 14. Joseph Levi and Hiram John- 
son also took claims in sectton 23, and with their mothers and sisters re- 
sided on Hiram's claim. Azariah Masters, sr., father of Silas and Aza- 
riah, put np a substantial log house where Munson Downs now lives. Mc- 
Vickar also came and joined McNaughton in sections 15 and 22, now 
George T. Taylor's ftirm. In the summer of 1857 Mrs. Adams, daughter 
of Russell Miller,died, leaving a husband and two children, who soon after 
returned to Ohio, Nathaniel Brewster, early in the summer of 1857, put 
up a house on the hill just north of the present depot at Kennard. The 
house was burned down some years after. 

In 1858 David Bender came and built a good house in section nine. 
His son-in-law, Amos Shick, came about the same time, and was engaged 
at the saw mill. He afterwards took and improved land in section three. 
John Hilton came in the summer of 1858, and lived in the Thompson 
house, (westofBlanchard's ) He died there not long after, and, to add to 
the afliiction of the widow, the house with its contents was burned up 
within a few weeks after his death. Dr. Benjamin sold out to Simon 
Hammer and his brother-in-law, Hadley. and they divided the tract in 
section nine between them. John B. Ultz and Mrs. Ultz, Mrs. Ultz 
being the mother of Mr. Hammer and Mrs. Hadley, came with them. 
Hadley, some years after, went to Missouri. Mr. Hammer and the old 
Mr. Ultz are living in Bell Creek. Milo F. Young held the land now 
owned by George C. Pemberton for a year or so, next north of Benja- 
min's. John Mattes, now residing on the old Miller claim, lived north of 
Silas Masters on part of \Vm. Hilginkamp's land. John A. Unthank 
and Azariah Masters came in the fall of 1858. Peter S. Reed and T. C. 
Powers came in the same season, and took claims in section twenty-four. 
Reed, was an energetic man, and, having seen service in the Mexican 
war, became captain of company A, 2nd Nebraska, which was fonned in 
1862 chiefly of citizens of Fontenelle, Richland and Fort Calhoun. Rich- 
land furnished eighteen of the company. Evelin Purchase, A. J. War- 
ner, the Tomlinson brothers, and some others came early, but did not 
make definite location until after several years had elapsed. 

The breaking out of the Pike's Peak gold fever, and the drainage of 
population from that cause and from the war that soon followed, removed 
permanently, or temporarily, a number of settlers, and the return of 
some of them with the settlers of later date need not here be chronicled. 
The precinct has long been noted for its beautiful farms and handsome 
and extensive groves — its first settlers having set an excellent example to 
those who followed them, in the way of tree planting. 



Jfj 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 61 



THE WASHING T0:N^ COUNTY OF TO-DAY. 



Its Condition, Resourcp:s and Advantages Briefly Stated. 



In this centennial year of national independence, throughout the 
length and breadth of our magnificent land, there is no section of country 
which offers t» the emigrant fairer prospects or more certain and speedy 
returns for the outlay of capital or labor, than does Washington county. 
The Missouri river on the east and the Elkhorn on the west, form a ver- 
dant fringe to the immense pattern in progress of weaving across which 
the plow speeds back and forth like a shuttle, throwing up in relief the 
outlines of towns and future cities as figures on its surface, while the gen- 
eral plan is filled in waving corn, golden wheat, nodding woodlands and 
running streams. Wonderful, wonderful have been the changes wrouglit 
in the condition of the county during the time of which this history 
speaks. But who can picture the still more wonderful transformations 
which this county will have undergone when two more decades have 
come and passed, and the year 189(3 dawns upon us? 

At the present time, there are within the county, forty-six school dis- 
tricts, each provided with a good house for school purposes, varying in 
cost from $01 )0 to $15,000. These houses will compare very favorably in 
appearauce and accommodations with the school houses in many of the 
older states, and are well supplied with maps, charts and globes — in fact 
all the necessary apparatus for teaching upon the most approved mod- 
ern principles. There are annually employed in the county seventy- four 
teachers, male and female, and the total number of children of school age 
is 2,323. The amount of wages paid to teachers for the fiscal year ending 
July 1st, 1876, was $11,626,95, and the total value of school property in the 
county at the present time, is $49,970. 

Religious interests in the county are not neglected, there being now 
within her boundaries twenty-thre organized church societies, represent- 
ing thirteen denominations, many of which have elegant church edifices. 
There are at this time in the county, four Masonic, several Temperance, 
and three Odd Fellow organizations, while the order of the patrons of 
husbandry has a large membership. The Grange movement started in 
Washington county early in the fall of 1873, when Washington Grange 



62 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 

No. 130 was organized at or near Fonteuelle, and so rapid was its progress 
that in the spring of 1874 there were seventeen Granges in the county, 
with an average membership of over thirty, making a total of over five 
hundred members of the order of which about four hundred were vot- 
ers and one hundred ladies and young men under age. The order was 
very prosperous during the year 1874, and many new members were 
added to the several Granges, and on the 4ih of July of that year, the 
argest celebration ever had in tlie country, was had under their auspices 
in a grove at the head of New York Creek. 

Early in 1874 a county council of the order was organized but for want 
of established rules for its government did not prove a success and a 
Pomona Grange took its place in March, 1876, being the second Pomona 
Grange organized in the State. This Grange is located at Blair the coun- 
ty seat and is composed of representatives from eacli Grange in the county 
It is expected that much good for the order will result from this organi- 
zation, 

Washington county contains 400 square miles, or about 256,000 acres 
of land; of which about one-eighth are river or creek bottoms. The rest 
of the country is rolling prairie, as smooth and even as is compatible with 
a well watered country and good drainage. The bottoms are dark allu- 
vial, chiefly vegetable mould, 4 to 20 feet deep. The uplands which are 
from fifty to one hundred and fifty feet above the bottoms, are a dark 
loam, rich in vegetable matter, from one to six feet deep, upon a subsoil of 
alight marly loam from twenty to thirty feet in depth, resting on clay. 
The soil is coarse quality, able to resist continued drouth, and is never 
soggy from excess of moisture. 

The prairies are covered with a heavy coat of blue-joint grass, afford- 
ing rich pasturage and nutritious hay. Tame grasses are not needed, 
though they have been successfully raised. Timothy, red-top, white and 
red clover, Hungarian and other grasses do well. Kentucky blue-grass 
flourishes, and where started takes posession of the prairie. Every species 
of grain and roots grown in older settlements is raised here with ease and 
protit. There are now in cultivation over 180,000 acres in the county. 
Many farms have superior improvements. There are a number of good 
orchards growing, as fine fruits as those of any State to the East or West. 
The average crops for the last five years have been, of wheat 15 bushels to 
the acre, corn 50 to 75 bushels, oats the same, barley 30, buckwheat 30, 
potatoes 60 to 100, hay ^to 3 tons. 

Several large mills have been erected upon tbe Elkhorn, and its 
abundant water power will soon be converted into more genei'al use. 
Quite a number of smaller streams water the county, some of which 
have good mill sites. Among these are Fish, Long, New York, Stewart, 
North, South, Bell, Turkey, Deer, Moore, Little Bell, Brown, Walnut 
and other streams, besides the Papillion with its branches, which drains 
a large part of the county. Lumber grows in large bodies along the 
Missouri and Elkhorn rivers, and upon a number of the smaller streams ; 
and is chiefly owned by actual settlers, and can be bought for from $10 to 



COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 6 3 

^30 per acre. The timber of the bottom lands is principally cottonwood, 
interspersed with ash, elm and other hard wood. That of the valley 
hills and on smaller streams, is chiefly oak, walnut and hickory. 

The county contains nearly 7,000 inhabitants. There are 20,000 acres 
of land in the county belonging to the Union Pacific and the Sioux City 
and Pacific railroads, for sale on from five to ten years time, with six and 
ten per cent, interest, p ayable two years after date of contract, at from, 
six to twelve dollars per acre, and are some of the best lands in the 
€ounty= The rate of taxation is from two and one-half to three and one- 
half per cent. The assessed valuation is far below market value. 



64 HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, NEB. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



In clo&iug this sketch, the writer desires to return thanks to John S. 
Bowen, E. H. Clark, Col. and Mrs. Wm. Kline, E. S. Gaylord, Perry Sel- 
den, Judge Jesse T. Davis, E. C. Jackson, J.H. Hungate, Alex. Reed, A. 
Castetter, E. M. Denny, W. J. Crane, J. A. Unthank, Harlow J. Carjjen- 
ter, William A. Bell and J. 0. Blackburn, for assistance rendered in col- 
lecting material therefor. It may be that some will be disappointed be- 
cause this is not a volume of several hundred pages, " bound in calf," with 
gilt edges and a picture of a train of cars chasing a herd of buffaloes on 
each cover. The only reason why I do not get up such a publication, is 
because it wouldn't pay. That task I cheerfully leave to that much-re- 
ferred-to-individual— the Future Historian, who is popularly supposed to 
be a man of leisurely, methodical habits, with an abundance of time and 
funds, and an unquenchable desire for glory. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 



i® §& 111 

i)KAl.Ki; IX AN1> AGENT I'OI! 

uckeye 
Reapers.,, 
owers 




~:^1'i^r' 








i" (* 1. 



Marsh Harvesters, Wm. A. Wood's Mowers 



Buckeye Drills, Buckeye and Fountain City Seeders, Spie's Harrows, Burtrand 
& Same's Riding, Eureka Riding and Walking, Davenport Walking and Weir 
Walking Corn Plows ; Furst & Bradley and Hapgood Itj-inch Sulky Plows ; 
14 and 16-inch wood and iron beam Walking Plows, Prairie King Breakers, 
Brown and Keystone Corn Planters. Wagons, Hardware, Stoves and Tinware. 

BELL CREEK, WASHINGTON CO., NEB. 
KENNY & STEWART'S 





One of the Oldest in the County) 



STOVES 



and a full 

assortment of 



TINWARE. 



Full and Fine assortment of Table and Pocket Cutlery. Iron, Nails, Wagon 
Woods, Blacksmith's Slock, Guns, Powder, Shot and Caps. A full assortment of 

House Furnishing Goods. 

Hay Forks, Hoes, Shovels, Spades and Scrapers, Furst & Bradley Gang Plows. 
Furst & Bradley 10-inch Sulky Plow, Furst k Bradley Stirring Plows. Furst k 
Bradley Breaking Plows, Furst k Bradley Combined Cultivators, Furst & Bradley 
Sulky Rake. Scotch k. Friedman Harrow. Hope of all Sizes. The finest 
assortment of SHELF HARDWARE north of Omaha. 



ADVER-HSF.MENTS. 

Insurance, Collecting if Real Estate Agent. 

AGENT FOR TOWN LOTS. 

Taxes Paid on non-Resident Lands. Information given as to Valuta, Location, 
&c. Abstract of Titles sent on application. Correspondence solicited. 

Address, "Vv^. H. CI^-^nSTE, 

Real Estate Agent, BELL CREEK, NEB. 

Established August, 1873. 

HAYMAN CHAPMAN, 

DEALER IN 

DRY GOODS! I 

Q-o-eens-wa-re, O-roceries, 

READY-MADE CLOTHING, HATS, CAPS, BOOTS & SHOES. 

Highest Market Price Paid for Country Produce. 



NATHAN FOSTER, Jr. 




•9 

DEALER IN 

1 



?■"**•■"? 



Hies, 




^j^"*'*'^j 



I.OUISVII.LE CEMEXT, 

Lime, Hair, Stucco, Sheathing and Felt, 
BELLGREEK, W AS HII\lGTOI\l CO., NEB. 

Staple and Fancy Dry Goods | 



.lUSr RECEIVED BY 



HiLLEE BROTIIIIRS, 

Castetter's Bsunnl^^ JlJiSiir, JNGD. L 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 



1 






^5^' ii^j i^ ai 



II 



"^f 1 1 



Is now open for. iKisiness, and farmers can be itcconnnoilated with 

Orist or Kxcliang^e l?^orli. 

Tliev keeji constantly on Inmd 

FLOUR, BRAN, SHORTS, MIXED FEED, MEAL, &c., 

W hich is for Sale or Exchange on reasonable terms. 



Real Msiaie Ag^ewi 



AND 

NOXARY PUBI.IC. 

Agent for the Purchase and Sale of Real Estate and Payment of Taxes. I 
HAVE FOR SALE IMPROVED AND UNIMPROVED LANDS in all parts 
of the County. Keep a complete AbBtract of Titles to all Real Esta te in Wash- 
ington County. IBel-^ia::*, IM'^to. 



Y. H. MATTHIESEN. 



C. C. LOGAN. 



ilAf f Hllill t l©fiAl , 

Have received their new stock of 
TIES, COXwXj-Z^I^S, 

STAPLE AM) FAX("Y DRV (^()0[)S, ^C. 
:F>rices IjOT^T-er tlxstn E^rer Before. 

O. V. PALMER & CO^ 

iIA\E 

BOOTS, SHOES, 

GROCERIES, QUEENSVVARE, HATS AND CAPS, 

:OI^-2- C3-003DS. 
Also a full line of Staple and Fancy Articles at prices which defy competition. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 



C. C, CROWELI,. 



A. P. HOWES. 



C. C. CROWELL & CO., 



DEA.LERS IN 



Lumber, Sash, Doors, Lath, 

COAL, LIME, CEMENT, &c. 

Special Hates on Large Bills. 



OFFICE AKD YARD— Opposite 11. 11. Depot. 



BLAIR, 



NEBRASKA. 



At Rosa's Old Corner BLAIR NEB. ^s the Place to buy 

DRY GOODS 



AND 



GROCERIES 

At the Lowest Cash Figures. 



Wholesale and Retail Dealers in 



1®) % 

mm. n 



'iS*?' ^ 






fd,MiMiiiiii 



OILS, PAINTS, FAiS'CY GOODS, 

Dye Stuif, Putty, Brushes and Glass. The Purest and Oldest BOURBON 
WHISKY^, and Imported and Native Wines and Brandies for Medical Purposes, 
CIGARS, 'I'oilet Articles, Trusses, Syringes, &c. Pliysician.s' Prescriptions a 
specialty. Very low cash prices. 

Washington street, one door East of A. CasteLter's Bank, BLAIR, NEB. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 



E.M.DENNY, 



DKALER IN 




f- 




urn HARyERTER, ;. , 

Agricultural luiplements, Diamond [ 
Mowers, Improved K.akes, Daven- 



Mowers, Improved K.akes, Daven- t, . \ r-~^^^^^Z^2-^wmf^^mJ^^^^, 
port Stiri-ins iuid Breaking Plows, i mmd'^^^^^^^^^M^^^J^^' 
Kidins and^Walkinf? Cultivators, V^7^ ^^A^\ ^/f 4>5^7*2i-^ ' , " i 
M A R S H SULKY CULTIVA- jW/k v^-- -^ ,^/ W. \>i' l^vt;//v^/-.^, ? 

TORS. CORN SBELLERS, IIARPilSON WAGONS, PCMPS, ETC. 
TTsT'a.sli.ixs.grtorL Street, Bla-ir. 

ADOLPH ALBRECHT," 

: CIGARS, TOBACCO, DRY 



Lie. 




"GOODS, BOOTS, f SHOES, 

Crockery Hardware, Tinware, Etc., 

FORX CALHOUN, NEB. 



Blair, Nebraska, 



DEALER IN 



Dry Groods, Grroceries, Provisions, 

CLOTHING. BOOTS, SHOES, HATS, G4PS. &c. 

Also in CATTTLE, HOOS and CORN. The oldest firm in Blair, where they 
have been constantly engaged in business since the organization of the town. 

Loan, Collection and Real Estate Agent, 

BLAIK, ^^EEKASKA, 

Will pay the highest market price for School Bonds. Money Loaned on Im- 
proved Farms in sums to suit. 



ADVERTISEMENTS. 



BLAM CLARK & SON, 

PROPRIETORS 

OslHiotj-i:! and. '^;^7"aterloo 

Flouring Mills 

ALSO OF 

Grain Elevators at Blair and Herman. 

GENERAL DEALERS IN FLOUR, FEED AND GRAIN. 

Main Office and Store Rooms at 

OMAHA, IVEBRASKA. 



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